| | Tegucigalpa, April 2008.- Through a memorandum of agreement signed with SOCODEVI (Association for the Cooperation for International Development in English) the Added Value Project will be assisting organized groups of the North Coast of Honduras. In their main part, these farmers organizations are currently managing more than 4,000 hectares of forest containing heart of palms of the Bactris gasipaes species. The project will assist in the process of developing added value for the uncultivated heart of palm, and will be helping to design a processing plant and will provide technical assistance in the bottling procedure. Under this sustainable forest management, it will be possible to incorporate other income generating activities in order to benefit the local population. The hearts of palm transformation process will also open new opportunities for local women that are not currently incorporated in any productive occupation.
The processed heart of palm is a highly valued product in the international food market. At present, there are no other local enterprises involved in processing food products from heart of palm. Most of the products being sold in the local supermarkets are being imported. The main producers of hearts of palm in Central America are Guatemala and Costa Rica. There is a wide range of opportunities for these groups to commercialize their bottled hearts of palm, in order to generate numerous benefits for their families and regional economics. | |
