On this front, many of the region's countries have made real efforts to conserve their natural wealth by establishing protected areas, especially under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Important regional efforts and experiences in this regard include the creation of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, in which Mexico and seven Central American countries participate, the expansion of the Serranfa del Chiribiquete natural park in Colombia and that country's policy of conservation in the Amazon region, as well as the tropical rainforest conservation programme in Brazil, which has spurred a strong expansion in protected areas in the region and has become the driving force in reducing deforestation in the Amazon region. One example was the domestication of plants of tremendous economic value that were grown in species-rich areas inhabited by sophisticated ancient civilizations. This process was key in the development of agriculture and gave rise to hubs of origin of major crops such as maize, yucca, potatoes, peanuts, beans, squash, tomatoes, cacao, quinoa and others.