The cultural impact of the balsam tree (Myroxylon balsamum pereirae) in Chiltiupán, La Libertad, El Salvador

Abstract

The production of balsam has been a key point for the economic development of the Salvadorean mountain range in the western coast. Nonetheless, there exists a historical and cultural component which appears to be hidden; this work pursues its visibility by drawing information from the main people involved in it: growers, balsam extractors, processors and inhabitants of the municipality of Chiltiupán in La Libertad, El Salvador. In doing this work, an ethnographic approach was taken in terms of data collection; techniques such as the interview, observation and focus groups as well as documentary information were used. Information organization and analysis brought some data results such as the following: a better understanding about their prehispanic history, the extraeconomic relevance of balsam in the region, the social and economic relations that take place in the mountain range surroundings, the evolution of the market for this product, the cultural relevance of generational transfer in balsam production, the strong social relations within its production framework, and the surplus distribution in the marketing chain.

Entorno, april 2015, issue 58: 25-33