Mayan Agroecology Flashcards
example of a traditional cultivation system that maximizes arable lands and increases biodiversity
Milpa Agroecology
______ is the study of ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems
Agroecology
What kind of knowledge does Agroecology rely on?
LOCAL knowledge
What does Agroecology consider?
(3ish points)
(specific places…)
productivity
resilience
sustainability and equitability of agricultural practices in specific places,
by specific peoples,
over long periods of time
What is Agroecology?
It’s agriculture as practiced in specific cultural and geographic contexts
3 components of Milpa Agroecology:
Forest Gardens
Managed Fallows
Shifting Cultivation
How did they feed all the people in the Mayan environment?
- Permanent raised fields
- Terracing
- Forest Gardens
- Managed Fallows
- Shifting Cultivation
- Wild Harvesting
Which of these are Milpa Agroecology?
Are Milpa systems only in the past?
no, still happening today
What is a type of Milpa system practiced today and what is it?
Swidden Agriculture
also known as shifting cultivation
technique of rotational farming where land is cleared for cultivation (normally by fire) and then left to regenerate after a few years
Benefits of Swidden Agriculture:
maintains high biodiversity levels through regrowth etc
helps with long-term soil fertility (biochar)
What is biochar and what are its benefits?
produced by low-temperature burning
benefits:
decreased run-off
increased soil carbon
improved tilth (cultivated soil)
improved fertility (microbes)
- enriched soil (anthrosols or dark earth)
Parts of the Milpa Cycle:
& 3 examples
mature forest is cut and burned (prep for cultivation)
cultivated and seeds are planted
cultivated for 2 years
8 years laying fallow
examples:
forest gardens
managing fallows
shifting cultivation
Characteristics of a Milpa cycle:
designed for large yields of food crops without pesticides or fertilizers
- small scale: family or community
- land usually communally owned
- multi purpose / multi-crop
- fields are small - separated by rows or paths/roads
- small scale irrigation from local creeks
- mix of different aged clearings
- fallow period of 8 years
What is companion planting? (and popular example)
a complimentary trio of plants
ex// maize, beans, squash “the three sisters”
maize - shade and structure for beans
beans - nutrients
squash - protection from weeds
Benefits of companion planting:
(and example)
shade, support, nutrients
corn for shade and support
beans for nutrients (nitrogen fixing bacteria)
squash suppresses weeds and helps w soil moisture
what is a complete protein and an example?
plant foods = incomplete proteins bc lacking amino acids
can be mixed to make complete
ex// corn and beans together
What is polyculture? (and example)
The simultaneous cultivation of several crops
milpa is an example - resilience for farmers
What is knowledge of maize tied to?
language - matching linguistic connection
Importance of maize:
social connectedness
- communities share seeds
promotes cultural resilience and social ties
What is the “Maize Metaphor”?
growing maize = equivalent to raising humans
sowing kernels into the soil = reproduction
stages of corn growth = stages of human growth
husk of young corn = baby in blanket full of potential
Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising ______, ______ _______, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners.
farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners
Milpa systems are made possible by ________ __________ in the entire traditional food chain: from ______ and _______ to _________ and ______
collective participation …… from planting and harvesting to cooking and eating
Maize and milpa knowledge and techniques express:
community identity
reinforce social bonds
build stronger local, regional and national identities
Who is a Campesino?
includes small and medium sized farmers
landless people
women farmers
Indigenous peoples
migrants
agricultural workers from around the world
Using genetic diversity to support resilience: how is having 3 million GMO corn plants in US problematic? (give an example)
disease spread
extra inputs needed (fertilizer, water, tools)
ex// potato famine
- relied too much on potatoes
If Milpa agroecology works so well, why did the Mayan state collapse?
drought
social unrest - leadership
disease
What are concerns of Milpa growers today?
- Conversion of land to large- scale agriculture
- Growing crops for global markets
- Pressure and enticement to grow for global
(money etc) - Not enough land/water to support growing families
- GMO contamination of landraces*
- Migration of workers to urban centres
What are some lessons that have been learned for our food systems?
LESSONS
- Food security
- Genetic diversity is important
- Importance of localized food systems
- Distance of our food important
o Vulnerability
o Wait for it to be shipped in
- Use these to create solutions
- Will need imagination to address these problems
