¡Corn is a grain in dispute!

For its characteristics and meanings for latinoamerican people

Peasant agriculture provides: + food, + water and oxygen, + preserves the environment’s integrity, + knowledges, + culture and + recreation.

In México:

Women: They are seeds conservation responsible in their kitchens. Also in the seed variety selection to plant according feeding needs. They keep alive cultural and tradition experiences around the corn, also its rituals and ceremonies.

Peasants: Experiment and improve the corn for a best climate conditions adaptability: temperature, altitude, water and nutrients availability, or product characteristics as color, size, texture, increased performance.

This cultural patrimony and technical knowledge should be revalued and enhanced to achieve increases in corn productivity.

In México: 70% of the white corn that is intended to the human consume comes from production units, that are:•developed in small areas•with native varieties•with temporal

These units are the reservoir for genetic material that today make an unparalleled wealth, as knowledge about it that could mean real alternative to the crisis of a production model in the limits of growth.

Uses various techniques adapted to each regional conditions

To storage

To preserve moisture

To preserve seeds

As a model of production:• very positive payback .- relationship between energy used for energy production and the harvest.• Genetic diversity in the fields planting a combination of three or more different varieties that offers great potential to control pathogens. (M. Altieri)

As cultural model: The Mesoamerican not plant

corn, we make milpa, interwined with all the diversity it brings involved. And the milpa – with its gifts, sweats and knowledge- it is the origin of our polychrome culture.” (A. Bartra)

La Milpa

Chinampa Prehispanic production technique, very productive. Modified

according to the needs México city and supplied of some vegetables.

Seeds exchange fair

Rituals in defense of corn

¡The future!