• MASSIVE: A major tree-planting program launched by the López Obrador administration that was supposed to provide 575 million timber and fruit tree seedlings to small farmers in 2019 failed to reach its goal and only provided 78 million. Yesterday, the head of the program, Javier May, resigned.
• PROGRAM: Under the banner of “Sowing Life, the program provides a monthly payment of USD 250 to 230,000 small farmers who commit to growing timber and fruit trees in at least 6 acres of land. The government, however, failed to provide the seedlings.
• PROBLEM: “The problem is that they are supporting people who do not want to reforest but still receive a payment. Moreover, the program is not environmentally friendly”, said Sergio Rivera, head of Calixaxan, a non-governmental organization in the state of Veracruz focused on responsible reforestation.
• DIFFERENCE: Operating without public guidelines and a list of beneficiaries, Sowing Life had a USD 1.4 billion budget in 2019. Meanwhile, the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), a long-standing specialized governmental body dedicated to forestry, only had a budget of 153 million.
