Background
The Central American countries, covering all together an area of 769,000 km2, although they represent only a 0.5% of Earth at global level, shelter 7% of the land species of the planet, including 210 endemic mammals and 24,000 plants. Besides being a natural bridge used by hundreds of species of migratory birds, Central America is one of the most important places for the conservation of diversity of all forms of life existing on Earth.
The Region has already taken some actions for the conservation of its outstanding biodiversity, including the establishment of approximately 600 land protected areas and more than 100 marine protected areas, concluding consequently that up to date around 12% of this region’s territory is under some kind of protection for its conservation. The Regional Cooperation has helped to develop innovative programs as the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC), which allows the union of protected areas in the whole region, through plantations, agro-forestall systems and private reserves that are biodiversity friendly.
Onwards and sideways, high levels of demographic growth and low levels of income of the Central American population have increased human pressure over the natural resources of the region and its biodiversity, creating a negative connection between conservation and development.
On the other hand, around 95% of the regional companies are Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) and they generate 44% of the jobs and 34% of the total production of the region. Many of these SMMEs have their operational base in the rural area, depending mainly on the natural resources and activities that transform lands of forest vocation, with the consequently contamination and degradation of soils, contributing so to the loss of biodiversity.
The Central American SMMEs have activities like cultivation of cacao and coffee; breeding of cattle; extraction of woods; shrimp farming and aquaculture; cultivation of vegetables using a lot of agrochemicals and production of sugar cane; slash and burn agriculture; and tourism (in fact, almost 80% of the global tourism is made by SMMEs).
Due to its importance and impact on the economy and biodiversity of the region, the SMMEs have been identified by the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (CABEI), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), as the target group in the promotion of the conservation of forests, mountains, and coastal and marine ecosystems, through the change of their productive and service practices, encouraging them to make their activities more sustainable, like banking and friendly businesses with biodiversity.
