Very Verde Oaxaca

Is it Sustainable?

This is the question we would do well to ask across the spectrum of industries and ‘lifestyle’ choices, wherever it is we call ‘Home’. Whether we are discussing farming practices, urban infrastructure, tourism or transportation, with sustainability as a yard stick,we can measure methods, designs and systems with an eye to the future. In Oaxaca State, the question of sustainability is both old and new. With the largest percentage of indigenous population in all of Mexico, many of the traditional practices – particularly with regard to farming and construction – remain in place. But the State is also facing many of the hazards of modernity which bring with it a host of environmental challenges that, if not met with sustainable plans, will continue to degrade the environment.

Of particular concern in Oaxaca are deforestation, water pollution and uncheck, high-energy consuming construction. What this means for locals and the ecosystem is not encouraging and Oaxacans are beginning to recognize the risks of continuing on such a path. At the grassroots level, however, people are beginning to measure progress and success in sustainable terms. Lets take a look at a few Verde efforts – some small, some large in scope, that are focused on keeping the State sustainable for future generations.

Coffee Growing

Thanks to its mountainous terrain and tropical climate, Oaxaca has one of the largest coffee growing regions in Mexico. And in the realm sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and the small farmers who cultivate these crops, Oaxaca’s CEPCO, (Oaxacan State Coffee Producers Network), has been at the forefront.  CEPCO was established in 1989. It is Oaxaca’s largest association of coffee growers, with 16,000 farmers and 44 cooperatives. Many CEPCO campesinos (more than 6,000 to date) now practice organic farming, and most of them cultivate shade-grown crops.

“Shade-grown” is the key phrase to note with regard to coffee growing. This is the traditional method of cultivation but today, much of the world’s coffee is grown under full sunlight. Conscientious consumers are now choosing shade-grown beans when available because of their eco-friendly nature and arguably, better taste.

The coffee plant is a small shrub that grows naturally in the under-story of a higher canopy of indigenous trees. When coffee is grown under these conditions its yields run between 35-65%. For increased – and faster – yields however, in the past two decades many coffee farmers have replaced traditional or ‘shade grown’ plantations with full-sun farms. In Central America alone, more than 2.5 million forest acres were destroyed in order to ‘technify’ coffee-growing. Such monoculture resulted in a huge blow to topsoil quality due to erosion, as well as the obvious destruction of local biodiversity.

While sun-gown coffee provides the highest yields, the environmental cost is even higher. With more exposure to the elements such as wind and tropical rains, soil erosion and the resulting water pollution from leached pesticides and fertilizers are almost immediate consequences. In addition, sun-grown coffee loses the benefits of a diverse environment. With the protection of a native tree canopy, crops suffer less from frost and benefit from the nutrient-rich mulch of decaying leaves. This naturally discourage the growth of unwanted weeds and eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers or herbicides.  The over-story of trees also supports native fauna, particularly birds and pollinators that keep unwanted pests in-check. An added benefit, according to some farmers and coffee drinkers, is that, thanks to a slower ripening time for shade-grown beans, the coffee’s flavor is more complex and appealing.

Over the past 20 years, CEPCO has worked with small farmers to improve their production via traditional,shade-growing methods and organic practices. Through their cooperative marketing branch CAEO, the Agricultural Marketing Agency of the State of Oaxaca, Inc., these farmers have also increased their profit

margins, providing a sustainable livelihood for themselves and their families.CEPCO also offers micro-loans, has an established credit union, and supports an active women’s association.

Grass Roots Efforts

Outside of sustainable and organic farming collectives such as CEPCO, Oaxaca’s green ‘movement’ is in its infancy, and small-scale projects are more common than widespread organized efforts. “I am convinced that environmentalism in Oaxaca is basically, today, a grassroots initiative” says Gustavo Esteva. Member of Universidad de la Tierra en Oaxaca (Unitierra). “It comes from Indigenous communities and from activists associated with them and with people in the cities also concerned with the environment.”

Jesus León Santos is an example of just such grassroots organizing. In 2008 he won the Goldman Prize for outstanding environmental achievement in North America thanks to his land renewal project in Oaxaca’s Mixteca region. By employing traditional agricultural practices of the local, Mixteca population, his organization, the Center for Integral Small Farmer Development in the Mixteca (CEDICAM) transformed an eroded landscape into arable land that has regained its  biodiversity of both flora and fauna.

In 1980, León organized this democratically run, farmer-led group which went about transforming the landscape, returning it to its pre-hispanic state. They have built 1200+ miles of  ditches which captures 90% of the area’s rainfall, prevents erosion, and irrigate crops. CEDICAM farmers have also planted some two million native trees, and  follow agro-ecological practices such as planting only  native corn species which can handle drought, developing native seed banks and employing local, organic fertilizers that do not harm the soil.

The work of Dr. Gino Cacciotti  M.M.  Ba. Arch. E, a traditional Stone Mason and Professional Blacksmith is another example of grassroots initiative. Cacciotti has been conducting ecological building workshops through the Natural Building Institute of Ontario in Oaxaca for the past 25 years. Projects are funded by individuals and private sponsors who hire him to create infrastructural buildings such as libraries, schools and healthcare facilities in rural areas. Cacciotti builds with sustainable, local materials such as mud and stone to create energy efficient structures that stand the test of time.

Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator and Professional Weaver offers weaving and natural dyeing workshops with master weaver Federico Chavez Sosa in Teotitlan del Valle. Workshop participants stay at a B&B where “all the food is homemade, and there is attention to providing a small group, low impact experience.” In addition, explains Hawthorne, ”recycling, use of natural materials and food sources are of primary consideration [with their programs]. We want to support local indigenous culture and step lightly, so we provide a very personal experience while respecting Zapotec traditions.”

She also points out that the Teotitlan weaving cooperative Bii Dauu Centro de Arte Textil de Oaxaca “uses solar power, wind power, and sustainable organic agriculture as part of their mission to keep the culture and traditions alive. ” These are examples of a small-scale effort that apply the principles of sustainability and bring awareness to all those who intersect with these projects – including indigenous populations, international workshop participants and end service users.

Traditional practices which by their very nature, tend to be sustainable, are also worth noting. As Hawthorne points out, “all buildings constructed of adobe fit into the category of “green”, since adobe is constructed of earth, donkey dung, and water.” Cacciotti concurs, adding that traditional food sourcing, such as the “100 Mile Diet” (eating locally grown foods) is still common in rural areas. “Most of the movements in Oaxaca,” argues Cacciotti, “are focused on sustaining these types of century-old practices.”

Other ‘Green’ Initiatives

Centeotl, the Centro de Desarrollo Comunitario Cenéotl, is a foundation working in Zimitlan de Avarez and the Valles Centrales de Oaxaca where, according to their website, they “promote sustainable development, environmental education and the development of gender equality”, among other activities. Their initial project, begun about 15 years ago, was to encourage amaranth farming. This highly nutritious grain is a traditional, Mesoamerican crop that was once banned by Hispanic colonizers. Centeotl operates Project Amaranto following a three-point criteria of autonomy for growers, sustainable growing practices and social responsibility.

The Oaxaca Community Foundation is also involved in sustainable endeavors. Its mission, according to the website, is to “support marginalized and vulnerable population groups within Oaxaca” with an emphasis on “fair practice towards, and fair relationships between, people and nature.” The Foundation has supported a number of environmentally-oriented projects. In conjunction with the Oaxacan Fund for Nature Conservation, for example, the Foundation has established a number of conservation initiatives such as “Sea Turtles of Oaxaca and Local Development.” The program assists three coastal groups in their development of activities related to sea turtle education and protection.  These activities not only conserve and protect a threatened species,they also generate sustainable employment opportunities for locals.

Forum on Appropriate Technology

Juan Jose Consejo, Director of the Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca says that while there is indeed “a growing green movement in Oaxaca,” it is not unified. Rather, he explains, “it is a complex array of movements in different fields and regions.”With this in mind, Consejo, representatives of the Universidad de la Tierra en Oaxaca A.C. (Unitierra) and several others organized a gathering in March of this year. The Forum on Appropriate Technology was held in Oaxaca and attended by representatives from a variety of industries and civil associations. The event was “very successful,” says Consejo.

“The Forum addressed common issues in the field of appropriate technologies: water, energy and waste; devoting special attention to our daily needs: food, health, learning, sharing, building and living,” explains Nicole Kast, Administrative Assistant at Unitierra.  “It also addressed various aspects of the social economy and the political dimensions of ecology,” she adds.

The four days of training and discussion concluded with several key resolutions related to “food soveriegnty (“opposition to the use of contaminated, transgenetic corn”), as well as opposition to the illegal destruction of green spaces, a call for freedom of political prisoners and a demand for honesty among elected officials.

“Unitierra hopes to continue the work of the Forum through a long-term project to disseminate didactic materials detailing the ideas, equipment and techniques discussed during the Forum,” says Kast. “This long-term project may include the creation of appropriate technologies centers in distinct parts of the Republic and the development of a workshop series.”

While Oaxacan’s green initiatives may not yet be unified, efforts like those of CEPCO, León Santos, Centeotl, Unitierra and many others give hope for what is to come. In the mean time, the use of technologies both old and new, education, and a reclaiming of the land by indigenous populations seeking a viable livelihood and economic justice are making inroads into a future that measures success in terms of sustainability for all.

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Tags: coffee, ecology, green initiatives, Mexico, Oaxaca, sustainability