Land-grabs, when powerful interests seize land from local communities, are common throughout the world. For the indigenous Pech people of Honduras, a proposed land grab threatened their livelihood. But after years of organizing and community investment, the community was able to successfully resist the government’s effort and, instead, established a cooperative ecosystem reserve that granted them economic rights.
Today, more than 12 Pech Communities in northeastern Honduras work together to resist illegal occupation and promote sustainable livelihoods. A cooperative cultivates and sells a natural resource called liquidambar, and proceeds boost local incomes and support social funds that promote health and education.