In Search of a Sustainable Palm Market in North America The Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America September 2002 The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) to address environmental issues in North America from a continental perspective, with a particular focus on those arising in the context of liberalized trade. This publication was prepared by the Secretariat of the CEC. The views contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the CEC, or the governments of Canada, Mexico or the United States of America. Reproduction of this document in whole or in part and in any form for educational or nonprofit purposes may be made without special permission from the CEC Secretariat, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. The CEC would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication or material that uses this document as a source. Commission for Environmental Cooperation 393, rue St-Jacques Ouest, Bureau 200 Montréal (Québec) Canada H2Y 1N9 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.cec.org © Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 2003 Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................................................................ iv Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ iv Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 Palm Species in Mexico ............................................................................................................................................................ 2 History of Use............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Major Uses of Chamaedorea Palms .................................................................................................. 5 Floriculture .................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Horticulture .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Species Used..................................................................................................................................... 6 In the Cut-greens Trade............................................................................................................................................................. 6 In the Nursery Industry.............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Physical/Biological Characteristics Influencing Trade ..................................................................... 8 Uniform Growth Characteristics from Seed Gathered in the Wild .................................................................................... 9 Seed Production Dynamics ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 Complementary Seed and Foliage Production .................................................................................................................... 10 Production Costs for Seed and Foliage................................................................................................................................. 10 Low Light Requirement .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Current Population Status....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Regulation...................................................................................................................................... 12 Domestic Regulation and Use................................................................................................................................................ 12 International Regulation.......................................................................................................................................................... 12 The World Floriculture and Environmental Horticulture Trade ................................................... 13 Market Overview........................................................................................................................... 14 The World Market .................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Trends in the Floriculture and Environmental Horticulture Trade .................................................................................. 14 The Palm Market in Mexico .......................................................................................................... 15 Chamaedorea palm fronds...................................................................................................................................................... 15 Current and Projected Market and Trade in Chamaedorea Palm Products................................... 19 The Growing US Market......................................................................................................................................................... 19 The Canadian and European markets.................................................................................................................................... 22 Markets for Seed and Potted Plants....................................................................................................................................... 23 Summary .................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 The Chamaedorea Supply Chain.................................................................................................... 24 The Supply Chain ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25 ii Importers and Wholesalers ..................................................................................................................................................... 26 Processing Along the Supply Chain ...................................................................................................................................... 28 Market Concentration.............................................................................................................................................................. 29 Opportunities for Value -Added Processing and “Green” Marketing ............................................. 29 Value-Added Processing......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Green Marketing and Certification........................................................................................................................................ 30 Potential Markets for Certified Products.............................................................................................................................. 37 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Appendixes .................................................................................................................................... 39 Appendix 1: Additional Information and Research Needs .............................................................................................. 39 Appendix 2: Market Summaries for the United States and Canada............................................................................... 41 Appendix 3: Internet Sites with Information on the Chamaedorea Palm for the Floral or Horticultural Industries ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 Annex A: Harvest and Cultivation of the Chamaedorea Palm........................................................ 46 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................... 46 Harvest........................................................................................................................................................................................ 46 Cultivation ................................................................................................................................................................................. 49 Commercialization ..................................................................................................................................................................