In Mexico, the livelihoods of many Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities grow from the milpa agroforestry system. Milpa is centered on corn, the dietary staple, but it also produces a rich assortment of seasonal vegetables and fruits, and medicinal, ornamental and dye plants, among others.
However, external pressure on small-scale agriculture, has never been greater. The milpa system has been undermined by government programs, modernized agriculture techniques, and the removal of trade barriers which have flooded the market with cheap imported foods. In addition to the erosion of traditional ecological knowledge and biodiversity loss, the increased availability of industrialized foodstuffs has also contributed to increased rates of diabetes, especially among children. Learn more at www.peopleandplants.org/traditional-foodways/mexico
The Traditional Foodways Program supports traditional food systems in their entirety – the sustainable harvesting, management, cultivation, processing, and preparation of a wide range and astonishing number of food species. Learn more at www.peopleandplants.org/what-we-do/traditional-foodways
People and Plants, through the Traditional Foodways Program, has produced a recipe video series that documents and celebrates delicious and healthy traditional cuisines interwoven with the forests and environments from which they grow. We invite you to watch the recipe series and learn more about dishes from Ecuador, Mexico, The Philippines, Indonesia and Cameroon, at www.peopleandplants.org/recipe-series
Traditional Foodways is a People and Plants International collaboration with local organizations and media teams from around the world. We are committed to ethical storytelling and true partnership. www.peopleandplants.org/ethics-in-filmmaking
www.peopleandplants.org
