With a Bachelor of Law degree from Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), María del Pilar García Hernández holds a certification in capacity building from the National Forestry Commission (Comisión Nacional Forestal—Conafor). Previously, she chaired the communal farm board of Tepatlaxco de Hidalgo, Puebla from 2011 to 2014, and from 2008 to 2011 she advised the Puebla State Congress through the Indigenous Affairs Commission.
She currently acts as general manager of Artemali Ocoxal, a communal farm community enterprise that manufactures and markets pine needle crafts. For several years, García Hernández has devoted herself to fostering women’s empowerment through production training, management and development processes. She is also a litigator in agrarian matters and advises communal farms and communities in her region, in addition to her ongoing involvement in forums and seminars on intercultural affairs, rural development financing and woodland ecosystems.