Using Ancient Ways to Reclaim Mexico's Barren Lands
by Elisabeth Malkin, International Herald Tribune, France - Jesús León Santos is a Mixtec Indian farmer who will soon plant corn on a small plot next to his house in time for the summer rains. He plows with oxen and harvests by hand. Under conventional economic logic, León is uncompetitive. His yields are just a small fraction of what mechanized agriculture churns out from the vast expanses of the Great Plains in the United States. But to him, that is beside the point.
Comments (1)
As I was reading this article I began thinking about all the different countries that could benefit greatly by returning to traditional farming practices and reforestation. It was really interesting seeing how the United States is hurting Mexico by exporting corn to them. The process actually forces the Mexican farmers out of work, which then sends them to looking for work in places like the United States. Instead of building walls and legislation, why can't the American government help fund programs like CEDICAM, so Mexico can flourish on it's own.
This is a wonderful article and it gives me quite a bit of hope to read it.
Posted by marie | May 15, 2008 7:30 AM