U.S. Awards Grants to Support Competitiveness and Biodiversity Conservation

Mexico City | June 4, 2009

June 5 is World Environment Day, and the U.S. remains committed to promoting good stewardship of the planet’s resources. Through the USAID Mexico Competitiveness Program, the Embassy awarded 6 grants – totaling USD$400,000 – to carry out research, training and workshops promoting competitiveness and biodiversity conservation in Mexico. The six awarded NGOs are:

• Centro Interdisciplinario de Biodiversidad y Ambiente (CeIBA): To document lessons learned from implementation of environmental and natural resource management policies in Marques de Comillas, Chiapas.Centro de Investigacion para el Desarrollo (CIDAC): Funding to develop and institutionalize the Mexican Competition and Regulation Network, a group of citizen experts in economic competition.
• Cooperativa Ambio: To work with communities in the national protected area of El Ocote, Chiapas, to plan land use and determine a baseline for carbon capture. This effort will be used to create a benchmark for the Mexican Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) strategy.
• Fundacion Pedro y Elena Hernandez: For materials to facilitate training on ecotourism in Corral de Piedra, Estado de México.
• Natura y Ecosistemas Mexicanos: To work with communities and authorities to foster ecotourism development in the region of the Lacandona Rainforest in Chiapas.
• Reforestamos Mexico: To work with small producers in the Mayan Riviera to improve elaboration and commercialization of non-timber/sustainable products.

The USAID/Mexico Competitiveness Program supports Mexican initiatives to increase competitiveness, economic competition, and economic opportunity. The program also promotes sustainable environmental policy in high-biodiversity areas in Mexico.