Agroecology on the Coast of Chiapas

We took a trip from the mountainous highlands of San Cristobal de Las Casas (where the altitude is 2,200 meters above sea level) to the Pacific coast (where the altitude is just 1 meter above sea level!). It's quite a sudden, dramatic change in altitude and environment.

In the left picture we can see the state of Chiapas in orange which is the southernmost state of Mexico bordering Guatemala. In the picture to the right, we zoom in on Chiapas, and the red arrows show the journey we made from San Cristobal de las Casas in central Chiapas to the Pacific Coast.

On the coast, the majority of land is used for pasture for dairy and beef cattle. The landholdings are much larger, and there has also been lots of deforestation in the region due to the vast pastureland and agricultural monoculture. On the coast, they have two seasons-- one of heavy rain and one of intense heat. Weather conditions can be extreme and in the past 30 years they have experienced two extreme hurricanes that completely flooded many communities. The context of the coast makes the topic of agroecology and recovering traditional agricultural practices much different than the mountainous regions of central Chiapas.

To get to the first community we visited on the Coast, we drove down a dirt road that ran through a large cattle ranch spanning many, many hectares of pastureland. When we arrived to the community, a young girl ran out of her house, eager to greet us. First I met the family, and then we got into the agroecology workshops.

Discussing the milpa system and instructions for making Lime Sulfur

Reflecting on the Milpa and Agricultural Traditions

Unfortunately, many traditional forms of agriculture like the milpa system and the knowledge of these systems are disappearing... Weather conditions are less predictable, and the expansion of cattle and livestock is reshaping landscapes and communities. Hybrid seeds and GMO varieties of corn are increasingly common rather than local seed varieties. And ironically, Mexico, where corn fields are seen throughout the landscape, is one of the biggest importers of corn from the United States! A lot of this imported corn is used to feed livestock.

The agricultural extension worker I am traveling with spoke with the community members about the big topic of chemical agricultural inputs. While there was an overall sentiment among the community participants that using chemical fertilizers and pesticides is harmful for people and the environment, there was also a sentiment that spraying chemicals is "much faster, easier, more convenient...". As one participant said speaking generally, "Estamos jodidos porque queremos." "We are screwed because we want to be." He went on to say, "That's why this program you all are giving is important."

However, it's important not to point fingers at small-scale farmers for the problems associated with chemical pesticides when it is governments and big multinational corporations that are benefiting from their use. This is something all of the community participants agreed that they don't want to support. "We are causing cancer and health problems for ourselves and all types of problems to the soil while making rich people richer," they mentioned. However, it's the current norm and previous ways are doing things are increasingly lost.

On a brighter note, the agroecological extension worker emphasized that the use of agrochemicals is a relatively recent practice and that we can recover old practices and memories. "La forma de rescatar es practicarlo. Después los jóvenes verán también." "The way to recover these practices is by practicing them again. The younger generation will also see and learn."

Making Lime Sulfur- An Organic Pesticide

After lots of discussion, we practiced making an alternative to chemical pesticides. We prepared an organic pesticide and fungicide called Caldo Sulfocálcico or Lime Sulphur. We began by making a fire, but as soon as the fire got started, it began to rain. I was wondering what we were going to do, but one of the participants didn't hesitate to bring a wheelbarrow and move the burning logs into a covered area of the house. Problem solved!

Don Felix resolving the issue of sudden rain by transferring the burning fire in a wheelbarrow!

How to make Lime Sulfur or Caldo Sulfocálcico:

1. Bring 20 liters of water to a boil

2. Measure 2 kg of sulfur

3. Measure 1 kg of lime

4. Mix the dry lime and sulfur together

5. Add dry mixture slowly into boiling water

6. Keep the fire strong and stir the ingredients until it turns a reddish color

7. Let it cool

8. Store in a container of glass or thick plastic

Mixing lime and sulfur together; add to boiling pot of water; stir until it turns a reddish color.

How do we apply and use Lime-Sulfur?

Lime Sulfur is applied in a spray pump with 1 liter of Lime Sulfur to 19 liters of water. The liquid is used to treat fungal problems and different pests, and the paste that accumulates at the bottom of the pot can be used to heal recently pruned trees. It's good for up to 6 months when stored in a sealed container of glass or thick plastic. It's not recommended for plants in the cucurbitaceae family like pumpkins, squashes, gourds, melons, etc, because it can damage the flower and fruit. When applying natural fungicides and herbicides, it's best to have a pest calendar. This way you can anticipate when pests will appear throughout the year and treat the plants preventatively or in the early stage when they are still just eggs.

We stayed the night at the house of one of the program participants. His family made fresh cheese from the milk that they milk from their cows each morning. We ate a lot of cheese in many forms-- salty cheese and quesillo (which is a super soft, stringy cheese). There were many ways they prepare their cheeses and they sell it all locally to families in the community. Before we went to bed, we drank coffee (Chiapans love their coffee) and watched a soap opera with the family.

Watching tv before bed. The thatched roofs of coastal houses are beautiful and keep the house cool.

This post was a peek into a community development workshop for agroecology. Community development work in agroecology involves recovering knowledge of local agricultural traditions and culture, learning new techniques and alternatives to agro-chemicals, organizing the community, and connecting back to why this is important and necessary for a better present and future. Sometimes community visits seem small in the face of the large challenges we face, but getting people together to create spaces for them to remember family traditions and adopt new practices is an important step to create momentum around new ways of thinking and doing.