QUITO - A system for a regionally recognized certification of sustainable tourism was proposed at the Summit of Tourism and Environment Officials of Ibero-America and the Caribbean, which met in late May in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands.

Tourism "is one of the activities of greatest growth that contributes to economic and social development and in particular to poverty-fighting strategies," says the meeting's final document.

The declaration proposes creating tools to evaluate the impact of tourism, standardizing national tourism and environmental legislation and strengthening the enforcement of rules, regulations and codes of ethics, whether local, national, regional or global.

The text also recommends implementing systems to evaluate biodiversity over the long term, "to use them as indicators of sustainability at tourism destinations."

HAVANA - The Cuban pharmaceutical industry will begin sales this year of a natural product to reduce stress, while research continues on the therapeutical capacities of dozens of the island's native plants.

The medication Vimang, which comes in tablet or cream form, is manufactured from an extract of the mango (Mangifera indica L).

It serves as a dietary supplement for people who suffer extreme physical or mental stress, and to prevent the oxidation processes that have been linked to more than 100 diseases. As a cream, it helps eliminate spots on the skin and restore suppleness.

CARACAS - The Venezuelan government has re-inaugurated the Cerro El Avila National Park, the largest green area in the capital, which was severely damaged by forest fires in 1999 and 2000.

Access to the park was restricted for three months in order to prevent further fires during the dry season and to maintain 22 km of firebreaks. Furthermore, says Environment Minister Ana Elisa Osorio, the water systems underwent maintenance and a reforestation plan was launched, with 24,000 trees to be planted over 200 hectares.

RIO DE JANEIRO - Companies from Brazil and abroad are ordering hundreds of tons of the nutritious camú-camú fruit, but the country's production is limited, reports the National Institute of Amazonian Research.

The camú-camú could follow the successful route of other Amazon fruits, like the guaraná, açaí and cupuaçú, says Kaoru Yuyama, an agronomist at the Institute.

The fruit grows on a bush and is native to the Amazon River basin. It holds a hundred times more vitamin C than the orange. Cultivated in dry soil and with fertilizer, it can produce fruit year round, according to Yuyama.