Mexico
Photo: Cecilia Monroy
Community member Florencia Jiménez Castellanos admiring her crops in San Francisco Teopisca, Chiapas, Mexico.
Mexico Partners
Mexico’s 100 million citizens are as diverse as the country’s geography, culture and economy. Even though Mexico is an emerging power and is among the wealthiest nations in the world in regards to GDP, much of the population lives in deep poverty and has the second biggest gap between rich and poor. IDEX support is focused on the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico and in the vicinity of Mexico City.
IDEX has been working in Chiapas since 1996. One of the most biodiverse regions in the world, Chiapas offers ideal conditions to grow many crops, from corn to coffee. Chiapas has the greatest percentage Mayan indigenous communities (40% in the state, or 1.7 million people) in Mexico. It also has the highest rates of poverty, malnutrition (40%) and illiteracy (50%).
A Way Of Life Under Threat
In permitting imports of cheap subsidized corn from the US, the livelihoods of small corn farmers in Mexico have been severely affected.
Indigenous communities – as well as native plants and wildlife – face numerous threats. The Mexican government and multinational corporations have always sought access to the rich natural resources of Chiapas. Commercial mining and logging, and unsustainable agricultural practices, continue to threaten the ecosystem. Environmental problems include soil erosion, water contamination from pesticides and fertilizers, and a loss of local seed varieties.
When NAFTA opened up markets in Mexico in 1994, it was to the detriment of the many indigenous communities. For example, by permitting imports of cheap subsidized corn from the US, the livelihoods of small corn farmers in Mexico were severely affected. The fall in prices lead to mass urbanization in Mexico and migration to the US.
A Collective Approach to Building Livelihoods
In response, IDEX supports indigenous communities to form collectives to grow organic produce, provide them with training, and where possible, support them in obtaining organic certification. This allows them to get a higher – and fairer – price for their products.
In the process, families improve nutrition, production yields and soil fertility, and preserve their ancestral lands. The work also helps develop flourishing and sustainable livelihoods, and proactively addresses the challenges of climate change.
In 2008, IDEX expanded to Mexico City, which has seen mass migration from areas like Chiapas and where indigenous and minority rights are also severely compromised. Like our work in Chiapas, IDEX supports community agroecology and initiatives that conserve resources while developing sustainable livelihoods.
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