Quarterly Progress Report: Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets

The activity aims to reduce deforestation pressures and expand forest conservation and restoration in high deforestation risk production landscapes in Campeche, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, and Oaxaca. The geographic areas of focus include Quintana Roo, Campeche, Chiapas, and Oaxaca, with specific locations such as Bacalar, Chetumal, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and Othón P. Blanco in Quintana Roo, Calakmul in Campeche, Villa Corzo, Villaflores, Cacahoatán, and Unión Juárez in Chiapas, and Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, and Mixteca in Oaxaca. During the second quarter of FY2021, the activity continued to face challenges associated with the ongoing COVID-19 health contingency in Mexico. However, gradual improvement was seen in several regions where partners operate, and the state of Chiapas was downgraded to "Low Risk" in March, allowing for the commencement of face-to-face activities. The activity strategically pursued the implementation of activities through virtual collaborations and adaptations to carry on activities that promote better production practices and strengthen business and communication capacities. One important advancement of the quarter was the collaboration with the Technological University of Chetumal to complete the development of the strategy for biological soil monitoring. This study aims to identify the microbiota associated with the cultivation of RA SAS certified coffee and the effects of associated agroecological management practices in the Frailesca and Soconusco region in Chiapas, as well as in the Sierra Sur de Oaxaca, in comparison to the adjacent conserved natural vegetation. The results of this study will shed light on the impact that RA SAS certification can have on the conservation status of ecosystems. In addition, the activity team received and analyzed the results of the #ConoceCambiaComparte campaign implemented during Q1 through the "Markets for a Sustainable Future" (MFS) initiative. The campaign achieved high visibility through its website with nearly fourteen thousand visits and seven thousand users in Q2 alone. As a result, new companies were encouraged to join the initiative, and the activity achieved the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding with Buna Café, Hecho Chocolate, and Cuna de Piedra (chocolate), increasing the reach of the MFS initiative. In Oaxaca, the partner CEPCO implemented activities in the field due to continuing COVID-19 restrictions. The outcome of strengthening resilient, sustainable farm and forestland management in the state of Oaxaca was achieved through the implementation of output 1.1, which aimed to strengthen resilience to climate change and other external shocks. Local CEPCO technicians and members of the communities implemented activities in the field, and the results of these efforts will contribute to the overall goal of the activity. The activity also made progress in other regions, including Quintana Roo and Campeche, where partners such as Alianza Selva Maya (ASM) and Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná (POT) implemented activities to promote sustainable farming and forestland management. The activity's progress was also reflected in the signing of Memorandums of Understanding with new companies, which will increase the reach of the MFS initiative and promote sustainable practices in the region. Overall, the activity made significant progress in the second quarter of FY2021, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of virtual collaborations and adaptations allowed the activity to continue advancing towards its goals, and the results of the biological soil monitoring study and the #ConoceCambiaComparte campaign will contribute to the overall success of the activity.