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The Mesoamerican region is home to extraordinary biodiversity and provides essential ecosystem services. Its tropical forests regulate the climate, maintain water cycles, support endemic and migratory species, and serve as vital carbon sinks—helping reduce the effects of climate change while protecting global biodiversity.

For generations, many Indigenous and local communities have depended on these forests for their livelihoods and cultural identity. Their traditional knowledge and sustainable practices have played an essential role in conserving the forest while balancing human needs with ecological responsibility. Today, these communities remain active guardians of the region and strong advocates for its protection.

The Selva Maya is home to more than 600,000 people from diverse cultural backgrounds, including the Choles, Tzeltales, Tzotziles, Mayas, Garifunas, and Mestizos. Many Maya communities continue to preserve ancestral traditions such as fertility rituals and sustainable agricultural and forestry practices, including Ich Kool and Milpa Maya. These practices are recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (FAO, 2022).