Local media reports say a U.S. company based in Miami is harvesting Xate leaves from Belize’s rain forests. Xate (pronounce: shatay) are the leaves from 3 Chamaedorea  species of palm tree (Chamaedorea elegans, Chamaedorea oblongata and Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii). The leaves are used in the floral industry because of their popularity for flower arrangements. The harvesting of Xate has been a controversial issue in Belize. Belize’s Channel 7 reported on 24 February that:

“Whenever it comes up the issue of Xate is always a troubling one. That’s because most times, the stories are about illegal harvesting of the ornamental leaf in Belize’s jungles by Guatemalans. Recently, the Government of Belize had agreed to issue a number of licenses but those also proved problematic because they provided Guatemalan harvesters to extract Xate with a license, and in so doing muddied the waters for authorities who could no longer make an easy differentiation between legitimate and illegitimate operators.

“According to Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala Fred Martinez, it was frowned upon by the OAS and he told us that the Government of Belize had put a stop on all Xate concessions. And that’s why today we were taken off guard when the Government Press Office sent video of a fully outfitted Xate operation in western Belize. It’s called Eco-Green a subsidiary of a Miami based company that specializes in this. The processing factory is just outside Cayo and they had an official opening today – except that we weren’t invited to ask the tough questions – like who’s going to be harvesting the Xate? Specifically, are Guatemalans going to be harvesting it in Belize’s jungles?

That’s a worrying prospect – but a question for which we have no answers – as the Minister and the investor soft shoed through their interview with the Government Press Office.”

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