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Tapping into a sustainable enterprise that provides income for indigenous Mexican families
Fredo Arias-King (MBA 1996, AM 1998) helps indigenous forest dwellers and their families in central Mexico stay on their land and thrive financially while also safeguarding their local environment. As founder of Green and Tapped Indigenous Community, Arias-King created in 2009 a sustainable project that allows indigenous Mexican populations to earn vital income by planting seedlings and developing pine-tree forests on their degraded lands.
Arias-King, president of T&R Chemicals in Texas, uses natural pine resin tapped from trees to make derivatives used in numerous applications, including adhesives, chewing gum, and soft drinks. Resin tapping by these indigenous nations is a millennium-long tradition in Mexico. The tappers make a steady income, and help to preserve the environment (pine trees protect aquifers, arresting desertification).
“There’s this symbiosis between native cultures, income for social-enterprise purposes for deserving families, plus industry, and also the environment. It’s a ‘win-win-win’ solution,” says Arias-King. So far, 2,400 hectares have been planted, but the goal is 12,000—a forest about equal to the size of Boston. Recently, Green and Tapped partnered with Kiva.org, which pioneered crowdfunding for social enterprises, to help speed up the tempo of planting.
(Published April 2014)
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