both the forestry market and the industrial market in guatemala have weak links to domestic and international demand so the lions share of exports traditionally consists of low valueadded products it borders to the east with belize to the north and west with mexico and to the south with the departments of alta verapaz and izabal this invaluable wealth mainly managed under a communityforest management model aimed at the conservation of natural resources justifies studying the value chain of wood products obtained from the departments forestry concessions it also explains why the metaobjectives that have been defined point to increasing job creation in the zone the strengthening of linkages between all links of the chain and between it and the rest of the countrys forestry sector greater participation by smes related to the value chain and hence a positive effect on the level of exports from the chain and the country at large outside that protected area and others officially included in the same category various mainly agriculture related productive activities are undertaken such as the production of basic grains maize and beans and african palm along with livestock breeding