La primera certificación de cacao “amigable con las aves” en Panamá marca un hito en la conservación ambiental y posiciona al país dentro de una tendencia global que busca producir alimentos sin sacrificar la biodiversidad, según destaca un artículo publicado por el Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Este reconocimiento, otorgado en 2025 a una finca en Coclé, no solo valida prácticas agrícolas sostenibles, sino que también evidencia cómo la producción de cacao puede convertirse en una herramienta de protección ecológica en regiones clave para especies migratorias.

El concepto detrás de esta certificación parte de una idea sencilla pero poderosa: así como los humanos necesitan detenerse a descansar durante un viaje, las aves migratorias requieren espacios seguros para alimentarse y recuperar energía durante sus largas travesías entre el norte y el sur del continente.

Panamá, por su ubicación geográfica, funciona como un corredor biológico estratégico, donde los fragmentos de bosque actúan como refugios esenciales para estas especies, especialmente durante la temporada de migración que inicia en marzo.

El programa Smithsonian Bird Friendly, que originalmente se enfocaba en el café, amplió su alcance al cacao mediante un modelo que exige condiciones estrictas de sostenibilidad.

Para obtener la certificación, las plantaciones deben mantener una cobertura de sombra mínima, preservar una alta diversidad de especies arbóreas y evitar el uso de químicos sintéticos, lo que garantiza que el entorno agrícola funcione como un ecosistema activo y no como un espacio degradado.

En Panamá, la finca Cacao Cerro La Vieja, ubicada en Chiguirí Arriba, Penonomé, se convirtió en la primera en cumplir con estos estándares bajo un esquema piloto lanzado en 2023.

Su propietario, el biólogo panameño Samuel Valdés, ha impulsado durante más de una década un modelo basado en la agricultura orgánica y la conservación forestal, lo que permitió que su finca fuera reconocida internacionalmente por su aporte a la biodiversidad .

La finca tiene una característica clave: de sus nueve hectáreas, solo tres están destinadas al cultivo de cacao, mientras que las otras seis permanecen como bosque protegido, con especies nativas como higueras, acacias y laureles.

Este equilibrio permite la presencia de una gran diversidad de fauna, incluyendo más de 170 especies de aves, además de mamíferos como ocelotes, venados y coatíes, lo que demuestra que es posible combinar producción agrícola con conservación activa del ecosistema.

El cacao, conocido científicamente como Theobroma cacao, es la base del chocolate y se cultiva principalmente en zonas húmedas como Bocas del Toro, aunque también se produce en regiones como Colón, Darién y Panamá Este.

Su proceso de producción, desde la cosecha hasta la fermentación, es complejo y requiere condiciones específicas de temperatura y humedad para desarrollar los sabores y aromas característicos del grano.

En este modelo sostenible, el manejo del cultivo evita el uso de pesticidas y promueve el control natural de plagas mediante la acción de aves e insectos. Además, se utilizan fertilizantes orgánicos elaborados con hojarasca, microorganismos y técnicas como el bokashi, un método de origen japonés que mejora la calidad del suelo sin recurrir a químicos.

Este enfoque no solo protege el ambiente, sino que también mejora la calidad del producto final.

Otro elemento clave es la integración de la comunidad. En el entorno de Cerro La Vieja se ha desarrollado un modelo de economía sostenible, donde los habitantes participan en actividades como la producción de cacao y la cría de mariposas, generando ingresos sin necesidad de deforestar.

Este enfoque convierte la conservación en una oportunidad económica real, en lugar de una limitación para el desarrollo local.

El mariposario asociado a la finca, donde se crían unas 40 especies nativas, funciona como un centro de conservación y educación ambiental. Las mariposas, además de su valor ecológico, actúan como bioindicadores de la salud del ecosistema, lo que refuerza la importancia de mantener un entorno equilibrado.

La iniciativa también ha permitido capacitar a comunidades cercanas en prácticas sostenibles, ampliando el impacto del proyecto.

El caso de Cacao Cerro La Vieja demuestra que la sostenibilidad no es solo una tendencia, sino una necesidad frente a los desafíos del cambio climático y la pérdida de biodiversidad.

La certificación Bird Friendly abre la puerta a que otros productores panameños adopten este modelo, combinando producción agrícola de calidad con protección ambiental, y posicionando al país como un referente en la integración entre desarrollo y conservación.

En un contexto global donde los consumidores exigen cada vez más productos responsables, iniciativas como esta permiten que Panamá no solo exporte cacao, sino también un modelo de producción sostenible que protege los ecosistemas y garantiza la supervivencia de especies clave.

La experiencia documentada por el Smithsonian confirma que es posible producir sin destruir, siempre que se entienda que la naturaleza no es un recurso infinito, sino un sistema que debe ser cuidado, respetado y aprovechado con equilibrio.

The chair of the California Republican Party and other conservatives on social media are calling for the vice mayor of Los Altos, California, Larry Lang, to resign after he posted «86 47» on social media multiple times, including in response to one of the state Republican Party’s Facebook posts.

The now-deleted posts, screenshots of which were shared by the California Republican Party and reviewed by Fox News Digital, show that, at some point this week, Lang updated his Facebook «cover photo» so it was the same image of a «86 47» seashell formation that resulted in former FBI Director James Comey getting indicted in federal court last month for threats against the president. 

Lang also commented «86 47» on a post shared by the California Republican Party earlier this week on Facebook. The clip included a news segment featuring California GOP Chairperson Corrin Rankin talking about a recent debate between California’s current gubernatorial candidates. 

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She argued during the segment that Democrats in the state «have no solutions,» adding that Californians are ready for new leadership after 16 years of Democratic Party rule in the state.

«This death threat directed at Donald Trump is unacceptable. Either this elected ‘leader’ is completely unaware of recent events, or he is somehow fueling the violence that erodes our political system,» Rankin said Friday in a post on X that included calls for Lang to resign. 

«Los Altos deserves leaders who unite the community and focus on solutions.»

The California GOP also echoed Rankin’s remarks, pleading with Democrats to «stop advocating for the death of Donald Trump and Republicans.»

When reached for comment about the «86 47» posts, Lang’s email address returned an automatic response indicating he was «traveling» until May 4. His Facebook «cover photo» indicated it had been changed Friday.

Lang is the vice mayor of the Los Altos City Council and also sits on over half dozen regional boards of directors. Fox News Digital also reached out to city council members in Los Altos for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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Screenshots of Larry Lang’s posts show his controversial comment on one of the California Republican Party’s Facebook posts. (California Republican Party)

«He needs to resign as vice mayor,» conservative social media account Libs of TikTok said after uncovering the posts.

Nick Poche, spokesperson with the Republican National Committee, added that Democrats «must immediately dial back their unhinged rhetoric» or risk encouraging «deranged» supporters who might wish to kill the president, such as the suspect from the recent White House Correspondents Dinner shooting that was stymied by the Secret Service.  

«We suggest he resign to check into a mental hospital,» Poche said of Lang. 

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for a second time by the Justice Department last month over a May 2025 Instagram photo of an «86 47» shell formation on a beach, the same shell formation that appeared in Lang’s Facebook «cover photo» until it was deleted.

In slang, often used in certain industries and in various cultures, «86» typically means to get rid of something. Donald Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

James Comey (left) and President Donald Trump (right) (Getty Images)

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Comey removed the post the same day it was uploaded, claiming he had misinterpreted the shells as a general political message.

The former FBI director is facing charges of making threats to harm the president and transmitting a threat through interstate commerce. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.

Under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City has set aside $500,000 to fund community discussions on reparations and other forms of assistance for Black New Yorkers as a major budget deficit looms, internal communications show.

An internal message, dated January, detailed how more than two dozen groups would be given tens of thousands of dollars each to participate in «conversations to discuss the development of a Reparations study» and to gather «input on the early development of the citywide Truth, Healing and Reconciliation plan.» 

Funding, according to the document, «allows for each community member to receive an incentive for their time» and covers the costs of providing participants with «refreshments.»

Amid the reparations spending, New York City faces an estimated $5.4 billion budget deficit throughout the next two fiscal years. Mamdani thus far has not proposed service cuts to address the shortfall, opting instead to seek out increased taxes and dip into the city’s emergency cash reserves while increasing funding for racial equity initiatives.

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Mamdani has justified his racially focused policies by stating that «Black and Latino New Yorkers» have «been pushed out of this city for decades» and are «bearing the brunt» of the rising cost of living in New York City.

Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, meanwhile, has said that the mayor’s race-based policies sound «fishy/illegal» and pledged to investigate.

The city memo reads, «We must do this work so that we can begin to heal from the harms of the past that have bled into our present and threaten our future. The work of Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation will not stop until we see a better New York City – a New York that is engaging in healing from the traumas of the past, has ended current abuse, and is on the path of a racially equitable and just city for all.»

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has justified his racially focused policies by stating that «Black and Latino New Yorkers» have «been pushed out of this city for decades» (Angelina Katsanis/AP)

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In his preliminary budget, released in February, Mamdani requested $4.6 million for the Commission on Racial Equity (CORE), the body responsible for holding the reparations talks, and an additional $5.6 million for the Office of Racial Equity. The more than $10 million in combined funding for the two municipal bodies would represent a roughly $3 million increase from the prior year.

CORE will continue its work on «Reparations, Truth, Healing and Reconciliation» until it releases its July 2027 «Final report for Reparations Study» and its June 2028 «Implementation for Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Plan,» per its website.

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State Rep. Zohran Mamdani speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC in Long Island City, Queens, New York City, on June 24, 2025. Mamdani was announced as the winner of the Democratic nomination for mayor in the city’s primary to succeed Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The internal communications, first obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, claim that more than 400 people had attended reparations conversations as of January.

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Under a local law passed in 2024, New York City is required to consider «financial or in-kind restitution» as well as «compensation for moral or economically assessable damage» and «public apologies» for the descendants of African slaves. 

The New York City mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment sent by Fox News Digital Friday.