Farmers fight to save Mexico City’s ancient floating gardens, the chinampas, as urbanization threatens this centuries-old tradition.
In the heart of Mexico City, a group of determined farmers are fighting to save a centuries-old agricultural tradition – the chinampas.
These floating gardens, first cultivated by the Aztecs, have sustained the region for generations, but now face the relentless march of urbanization.
Cassandra Garduño, a 32-year-old Chinampa farmer, vividly recalls her childhood memories of watching the canoes weaving through the canals that crisscross her family’s plot of land.
But with many families abandoning the ancient practice in favor of more lucrative uses, Garduño has taken it upon herself to learn and conserve this generational knowledge.
Banding together with other farmers under the Chinampa Refuge collective, Garduño and her neighbors are embracing new commercial approaches to compete with industrialized agriculture.
They are promoting the Etiqueta Chinampera label, which highlights the unique qualities of their produce, from its water quality to its status as a biodiversity refuge.
Ecologist Luis Zambrano from the National Autonomous University of Mexico praises the self-sustaining nature of the chinampas, which can produce multiple crops a year without the need for chemicals or irrigation.
However, the lure of soccer fields and tourist attractions along the canals poses a growing threat to these fragile ecosystems.
As landowners convert their agricultural plots, the ecological impact is significant, with the use of pesticides and fertilizers polluting the waterways.
While authorities are exploring ways to regulate these activities, the battle to preserve the chinampas remains an uphill struggle.
For farmers like Juan Ávalos and his brother Salvador, the chinampa is not just a livelihood, but a legacy they are determined to pass on to future generations.
As Garduño and her fellow champers work tirelessly to educate the public and advocate for their ancient way of life, the fate of these floating gardens hangs in the balance, a symbol of Mexico City’s delicate balance between progress and preserving its rich cultural heritage.