By Zoila Palma: Abidas Ash, a Q’eqchi’ Maya entrepreneur from San Pedro Columbia in Toledo District, is representing Belize at the World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) 2026, where she will share her experience in Indigenous youth entrepreneurship and sustainable business development.
The event will take place in Canada from October 26 to 28, 2026.
Ash is the manager and co-owner of Columbia River Source Farm (CRSF), a family-owned enterprise built on land her family has stewarded for more than 50 years.
Working alongside her father, Ignacio, and supported by her mother, Zenobia, and sister, Ash has helped develop the farm into a business focused on sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, organic cacao production, and farm-based education.
Growing up on the family farm shaped Ash’s understanding of the relationship between agriculture and biodiversity conservation.
She later studied Natural Resource Management and pursued a career in biodiversity conservation through her work as an avian biologist with the Environmental Research Institute at the University of Belize. She now combines her scientific background with traditional Maya farming knowledge to promote agroecological practices that support local livelihoods, protect biodiversity, and preserve cultural heritage.
Under Ash’s management, Columbia River Source Farm has expanded beyond a family operation into a business with international export reach. Its small-batch cacao products now reach customers in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Ash also represents the farm on national platforms and leads business development efforts aimed at increasing its economic, social, and environmental impact.
At WIBF 2026, Ash will participate in the youth panel titled “Dream. Build. Lead: Stories of Indigenous Youth Entrepreneurship.”
The session will highlight her experience of building a business using inherited knowledge, family resources, and sustainable practices, demonstrating how Indigenous entrepreneurship can create economic opportunities while maintaining a strong connection to culture and the land.
The post Abidas Ash represents Belize at World Indigenous Business Forum 2026 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Abidas Ash, a Q’eqchi’ Maya entrepreneur from San Pedro Columbia in Toledo District, is representing Belize at the World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) 2026, where she will share her experience in Indigenous youth entrepreneurship and sustainable business development. The event will take place in Canada from October 26 to 28, 2026. Ash
The post Abidas Ash represents Belize at World Indigenous Business Forum 2026 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
