Maya Farmer Preserves Ancient Farming Tradition and Seed Diversity

María Bacab, a Maya indigenous woman, dedicates herself to preserving the milpa, an age-old Mesoamerican farming system that combines corn, beans, squash, and other vegetables. She is also an advocate for its use and consumption in Mexico. "I've been working with my parents since I was young, learning from them. The milpa is beneficial because we don't need to buy corn. I've enjoyed it since childhood," Bacab shared from her community of X’box (which translates to "the black" in the Maya language), located in Chansinkin, a municipality in the Yucatan state of southeastern Mexico. Bacab, a 41-year-old divorced mother of seven, balances family care with farming. After preparing breakfast and sending her children to school, she works on her one-hectare plot, returning at 11 am to attend to her high school-aged children before heading back to the fields.

Each year, Bacab harvests approximately 750 kilograms of grain for personal use. She also raises the native pig species, X’Pek, and crafts hammocks to supplement her income. Her three oldest children assist with the farming. Bacab is the sole woman among 11 milpa farmers in X'box who store and exchange seeds. They select the finest seeds and store them for a year, ensuring they are ready for potential scarcity or losses due to flooding or drought. There are at least two seed banks operating in the municipality.

Each farmer in the group cultivates different varieties to maintain a diversity of corn, including several drought-resistant types. Some also keep bees for honey production. They have adopted seeds from the southern state of Chiapas, and their seeds have reached neighboring Campeche, which shares the Yucatan Peninsula with Quintana Roo. The peninsula is home to the majority of the Maya population, one of Mexico's 71 original groups and one of the most historically significant. Corn is not only a native and predominant crop in Mexico, but it is also a staple in the diet of its 129 million residents and is deeply rooted in the country's indigenous cultures.

During the harvest season, typically from January to March, the furrows of the milpa are a vibrant green, with ears of corn ready for picking. The harvested grains are used to make dough, tortillas, thick drinks called atoles, and various other dishes. Mexico's three million corn farmers cultivate around eight million hectares, two million of which are for family consumption. Mexico, home to 64 varieties of corn, 59 of them native, is the seventh-largest global producer of corn and the second-largest importer. Despite producing about 27 million tons of corn annually, the country still needs to import an additional 20 million tons to meet domestic demand.