Intercropping provide income while trees grow in Guatemala

In Sayaxche, Guatemala, maya nut trees are intercropped with corn and bean to ensure that farmers continue to earn income while they wait for the maya nut trees to mature.

Maya nut are directly seeded with beans in Guatemala. The maya nut will benefit from the care and maintenance the farmers provide for their bean crop and will thrive.

In 3 years the farmer will stop growing beans and will begin to earn income from selling maya nut fodder.

In 6-7 years the farmer will let the maya nut trees go to seed (no longer coppicing for fodder) and will earn more than $2000/ha/year. In 25 years, revenues will be more than $15,000/ha. Thanks to John Paul Mitchell Systems support, Reforest'Action will grow 25 000 trees every year by 2016.