Agrosilvopastoril Systems

Cattle ranching has been one of the main economic activities in Chiapas for several decades. This practice requires large areas of land to support cattle, which has meant that producers are increasingly turning forest into grassland areas with a high environmental cost. This forest clearance has a greater impact due to tropical storms, hurricanes and soil erosion.

 

Livestock activities within the Reserve are carried out in at least 2,500 hectares. The area most impacted by this activity is Pijijiapan, where the influence area, adjacent to the Reserve, is largely occupied by pastures, so it's no coincidence that the slope of the Sierra Madre which is oriented to the Pacific suffers a greater impact due to the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes.

 

The way to solve this problem, without affecting the activity, is the adoption of a model called agrosilvopastoril system, in which grasslands are converted into management units that conserve soils, recover vegetation and the opening of new forest areas is prohibited. All actions in the agrosilvopastoril system make cattle farming a profitable activity raising its productivity but minimizing the damage to natural resources and also improving life quality of people.

CONANP, The Nature Conservancy, the Institute of Ecology and Natural History and the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, have initiated the adoption of a model of agrosilvopastoril systems in the affected areas. In addition, with the support of Banamex Social and Ecological Development Fund through El Triunfo Conservation Fund we are helping ranchers from the influence and buffer zones of El Truinfo.