Summary
This case study looks at Rainforest Alliance's work with the indigenous Miskitu communities in Honduras which work with palm oil. The study assesses the four years Rainforest Alliance supported 2,000 palm oil producers in 40 communities and how they were able to certify 55,000 hectares of forestland to Forest Stewardship Council. The study found that marked logic and the world view of Miskitu is not incompatible. Processes that were taken on to achieve FSC certification were fuelled by market logic. The Miskitu people then mapped, documented and legitimized their indigenous management practices. Furthermore, the study found that consistency with traditional decision-making procedures was critical to gain community support and a functioning enterprise. These findings have important implications as more and more forest land is being managed by indigenous peoples.