On the occasion of the International Day of Indigenous Women, the work of the group “Nuevo Amanecer”, made up of Garífuna women from Honduras’ Moskitia, is recognized. Through their work with cassava and the production of cassava bread (casabe), they protect biodiversity, ensure essential food, and strengthen the local economy and cultural identity.
In the words of Doris Marina Meléndez Casildo, president of the group and cassava bread producer: “One of my greatest achievements has been inspiring more women in my community to engage in activities that defend the land and biodiversity.”
With the support of the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), the group established a 5,000-square-meter cassava plot in the community of Plaplaya, in the department of Gracias a Dios. The farm combines traditional practices with climate change adaptation techniques, optimizing production while conserving soil moisture and fertility. Crop rotation and the use of medicinal plants are part of these practices, recovering community knowledge to keep the land healthy and productive.
Cassava bread: cultural heritage and local economy
Cassava cultivation ensures the supply of raw material for cassava bread, an ancestral food that, in addition to providing energy and nutrients, creates economic opportunities for families in Plaplaya. Cassava bread, a flatbread made from grated, pressed, and toasted cassava, requires patience and collective work.
Photo 1 by Rigoberto Ford (WCS Honduras). Cassava grows in the plots of Plaplaya, with 5,000 square meters already under cultivation. Photo 2 by Víctor Padilla (WCS Honduras) during a meeting with the BLF team and the “Nuevo Amanecer” group. Photo 3 by José Norales. The “Nuevo Amanecer” women’s group at the early stages of establishing the cassava plot.
Photo by Laura Celeste Flores Maldonado. The knowledge and traditional practices for producing and consuming cassava bread were recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.
La Moskitia: a living territory of cultures and nature
Honduras’ Moskitia, with its forests, wetlands, coastal lagoons, and mangroves, is home to jaguars, manatees, dolphins, and hundreds of migratory birds. It is a biocultural territory where Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples converge, depending directly on natural resources.
The territory faces threats such as deforestation driven by illegal cattle ranching, land invasions, unsustainable fishing and hunting, and the effects of climate change. Communities, especially women, face historic inequalities and discrimination.
That is why initiatives like the Nuevo Amanecer group protect La Moskitia, bringing together tradition, biodiversity care, and women’s leadership.
“Being an Indigenous woman in conservation is an act of pride, love, and resistance.” — Doris Marina —