Tag Archive for: environment

Miske, la bebida indígena ancestral que está reviviendo en la mitad del mundo

De origen indígena, el chaguarmishqui, es una de las bebidas más antiguas de América, pero también la más denigrada por haber sido considerada la bebida de los llamados indios, o lo que es lo mismo, de los indígenas de los Andes. Producida en su mayoría por mujeres, su destilado, miske o misque, es la única bebida ecuatoriana con Denominación de Origen Ecuador.

En la llamada mitad del mundo, concretamente en la latitud 00º 00′ 00″, se encuentra una pequeña destilería donde se alambica la savia del cactus agave americano o agave azul, de la familia Agavaceae. Ubicada en la tierra que separa los dos hemisferios, Casa Agave nació de la reivindicación de una bebida ancestral, con una tradición milenaria, surgida en mitad de las montañas de Los Andes, que forma parte de la cultura local desde la creación de los primeros pueblos nativos de Quito.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN EL PAÍS

Food Sector Making “More Promises Than Progress” on Regenerative Agriculture

A ground-breaking study of 79 global agri-food firms has found that 50 (63%) publicly refer to the potential of regenerative agriculture as a solution to the climate and biodiversity crises. However, of these 50 companies, 64% (32/50) including ChipotleDomino’s and Bunge have not put in place any formal quantitative company-wide targets to achieve those ambitions. The report will be discussed at a private investor-only event being held today at New York Climate Action Week.

Key findings include:

  • 64% (32/50) of agri-food companies that publicly report on regenerative agriculture as an opportunity do not put in place any formal quantitative company-wide targets to achieve those ambitions
  • Only 8% (4/50) of companies that publicly report on regenerative agriculture as an opportunity have financial commitments in place to support farmers in their supply chain to incentivise uptake of regenerative agriculture
  • Regulatory risk: new laws in EU and UK, and new TNFD framework, put revenue, value and reputation at risk with EU-based firms facing fines of up to 4% of revenue if marketing is judged to be misleading
KEEP READING ON BUSINESS WIRE

When Discussing Flora and Fauna, Don’t Forget ‘Funga’

Fungi. They grow between toes, on bread and in the shower. But the organisms also produce food and medicine and act as ecosystem maids by decomposing dead matter — benefits that are sometimes overlooked (SN: 11/17/20). That’s why the Fungi Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to fungi education and conservation, advocates for adding “funga” to the popular phrase “flora and fauna.”

The mushrooming movement is also backed by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which in August called for the addition of “a third ‘F’ — funga — to address the planetary challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.” More than 20 countries already use the term, including Australia, Iceland and Brazil.

Historically, fungi have been left out of most conservation discussions and plans, says mycologist Giuliana Furci, founder of the Fungi Foundation, which was created in Chile and is now based in the United States. While flora refers to an area’s plant diversity and fauna its animal diversity, fungi don’t fit into either category.

KEEP READING ON SCIENCE NEWS

Farmers’ Seeds: The Key to Agroecology

We’re thrilled to announce the final episode of ‘THE LAST SEED’ film, “Farmers’ Seeds: The Key to Agroecology.” This production is a result of a partnership between the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, Biowatch South Africa, and PELUM Tanzania.

This compelling documentary takes a deep dive into the world of farming, agriculture, and most importantly, the critical role of seeds. Through a diverse set of voices, including farmers, consumers, and agricultural experts, the film emphasizes the role of seeds as the basis of life and sustainable agriculture.

The film opens with a powerful quote, “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.” encapsulating the resilience inherent in farmers’ seeds. The film underscores the importance of farmer-managed seed systems, highlighting their crucial role in sustainable, agroecological practices. It celebrates the resilience of these seeds that have nourished communities over generations. The film stresses that preserving indigenous seeds extends beyond ensuring a food supply—it also includes protecting our environment and maintaining a vital relationship between earth and its inhabitants. One of the core messages conveyed throughout the film is the rejection of the colonization of African food policies, agricultural practices, and governance. Instead, the documentary proposes agroecology—a sustainable approach to farming that embraces farmer-managed seed systems. By empowering farmers to take control of their seeds, agroecology represents a departure from dependency on corporate entities. A fundamental tenet of the film is the importance of diversity and how it can help us transition towards a more sustainable, agroecological approach. By encouraging farmers to experiment with diversifying their crops, we can increase the productivity of the entire farm, not just one crop.

This idea forms the crux of a key message in the film: agroecology is about increasing the productivity of the whole farm. Agroecology prioritizes farmers’ empowerment, enabling them to make informed decisions based on local conditions. It reduces reliance on external seed sources as farmers can cultivate and improve their seeds through observation, testing, and adaptation. Each seed thus becomes a knowledge reservoir, integrating years of information about the environment and enhancing resilience.

The film also highlights the fragility of the industrial seed system, drawing attention to its vulnerability when faced with adverse conditions. In contrast, the seeds from a farmer-managed seed system demonstrate their ability to thrive and adapt, reflecting their close alignment with the local ecosystem. It becomes clear that agroecology, rooted in traditional knowledge and sustainable practices, outperforms industrial agriculture on multiple fronts.

Ultimately, “Farmers’ Seeds: The Key to Agroecology” argues that transitioning towards agroecology may be a challenging endeavor, but it is by no means unattainable. It is a rallying cry for everyone – farmers, consumers, and policymakers – to put our minds and hearts into supporting sustainable agricultural practices. We invite you to join us on this eye-opening journey into the world of agroecology. Let’s explore the power of seeds, the resilience of nature, and the potential of farmer-managed seed systems. By embracing agroecology, we can cultivate a future where sustainable farming and food sovereignty are the norm.

Asesinado el defensor del agua Álvaro Arvizu en el Estado de México

México sigue sumando razones para estar en la lista de los países más mortales para los defensores del medio ambiente. Este martes se ha conocido la muerte de Álvaro Arvizu Aguiñiga, un defensor del agua del Estado de México que murió en la víspera a causa de las heridas que sufrió el 13 de junio en un ataque en la sede del colectivo ambientalista Centro para la Sustentabilidad Incalli Ixcahuicopa (Centli) en Tlalmanalco.

Aquel día, un grupo de personas no identificadas entró a la sede de la organización y, además de atacar a Arvizu, amenazó y amedrentó a su esposa y compañera de trabajo y a otro de sus colaboradores, según un comunicado de la unidad de Azcapotzalco de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), que promueve el Centli. “Durante su vida, Álvaro Arvizu Aguiñiga se dedicó a defender el agua y el medio ambiente, colaborando con múltiples activistas y organizaciones.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN EL PAÍS

¿Qué son y cómo se hacen los acodos de Mezquite?


 

Monthly Newsletter – Vía Orgánica

For organic regenerative agriculture, fair trade,
social justice, sustainable living and sustainable production 

Ranch news

EDUCATIONAL RANCH VÍA ORGÁNICA

Another regenerative, transformative and biodiverse year

We completed a new cycle of seasons and despite the climatic irregularities, an increase in the amount of soil inoculated and recovered after rainfall is perceived, which is stored more thanks to the organic matter added throughout the farm. This encourages active microbiology and with it, grasslands and forest areas have been restored, increasing the amount of biomass each year allowing its transformation into proteins such as eggs, lamb, duck and rabbit meat, increasing the soil’s capacity as a store and water sponge, CO2 capture, among other benefits.

This year we remodeled the organic fertilizer station with the support of Germán, Diego and Don Nacho, a work inspired by CEDICAM (Center for Integral Farmer Development), which trains and shares experiences among farmers to produce living food and healthy soils by promoting the use of local inputs and beneficial microbiology. Jesús León Santos, leader of this organization and winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, trained us.

Thanks to the rescue of ancestral seed varieties by the team of the Alegria sisters, biodiversity has increased. The Alegria sisters have maintained and improved the seed house, which allows exchange with other producers.

If we could fly like the huitlacoche or the mockingbird that brighten up the park with their song every morning, we could notice a small green dot in the Jalpa Valley that vibrates from the ground and even the cosmos for the life that every day is expressed in different ways thanks to the ecological management and the hands and hearts that protect and maintain this Agroecological Park free of pesticides.

Packages

Billion Agave Project

The Billion Agave Project is three years old now and the project has already established a fermented maguey forage production station enriched with leguminous species, such as mesquite or guaje. The interest of producers has increased to generate reserve forage for the 8 months of drought. Forage that not only has reduced animal feed costs but also the pressure on grazing areas, allowing the recovery of landscapes with better soil retention and vegetation cover. A forage shredding machine designed by Engineer Jose Flores of Rancho Zamarripa was shipped to Oaxaca to CEDICAM assisting the network of more than 1500 farmers organized and ready to use the maguey for their livestock.

Finally, a production cycle of mesquite seedlings was completed, which are produced from January to September and planted during the rainy season in different research plots, reaching 90% of success in the establishment of the seedlings, along with the small seedling nursery, other native leguminous species with forage potential received from INIFAP in Celaya are also germinated. Thanks to its rapid establishment, the maguey has been the guest of honor this year and the only thing to do is to keep growing it, the plant will be in charge of doing everything else.

Seasonal Crop

Do It Yourself

November is gone, leaving us with cold weather and a little moisture left by a storm. This can be taken as an advantage to make a rotation of our crop areas and recover the balance of the soil. We recommend the following:

1.- Take the time to inspect your orchard: check which crops developed better, which ones adapted according to the sun, shade or season, take your general notes of the orchard, this will allow you to plan for the next cycle.

2.-Evaluate your soil, check how much it improved or if it is compacted and it’s worth repeating the preparation of the double digging or even incorporate more compost.

3.- Take the opportunity to plant something cold, remember not to repeat the same crop in the same place to recover the soil and break the cycle of some bugs or diseases.

4.- Direct sow radish, carrots, cilantro, arugula. You can also make a mixture of salad leaves and sow a section, usually salad leaves are adapted to cool weather. You can mix several types of lettuces, with mustard, watercress, arugula and you will harvest a delicious mix.

Water in the evenings and avoid losing moisture during the day.

Ranch Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

– 5 medium size cooked beets
– 3 oranges
– 2 shelled jicama
– 4 apples
– 2 limes
– 12 pieces of sugar cane, rind removed
– 1 cup of cleaned peanuts
– 1 split lettuce
– 2 cloves
– 200 grams of piloncillo
– 2 pinches of salt
– 3 tablespoons of honey
– 2 tablespoons of homemade vinegar or apple cider vinegar
– 1 teaspoon of coarse pepper
– Water, as needed

PROCEDURE:

Cook the beets with the piloncillo, cloves, salt and water. Leave a little bit of stem to the beets so that they have a good color.

Slice all the fruits. Remove the seeds from the oranges and limes to prevent them from turning sour.

Mix everything so that all the fruit is painted and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Surprise your family and enjoy this Christmas salad with your favorite dishes.

Inspirations

This month we have two important dates, December 3 is World Day for the Non-Use of Pesticides and December 5 is World Soil Day. Vía Orgánica is part of the National Campaign Sin Maíz no Hay País (Without Corn There is No Country) and our director in the CDMX, Mercedes López Martínez, is the representative of the class action lawsuit against GMO corn in Mexico. Through the lawsuit, a struggle is being waged that encompasses, among many others, these two issues: a struggle against pesticides and for the health of the soil. This month we share with you the documentary: “The World According to Monsanto” directed by Marie-Monique Robin, which has inspired many people in this struggle to continue defending our planet and our corn.

December Activities

January Activities

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT US!

Remember that we are open from 8 am to 6 pm
Carretera México/ Querétaro, turnoff  to Jalpa, km 9
Agroecological Park Vía Orgánica.
For information on our products, seeds and harvest,
call our store at 442 757 0490.
Every Saturday and Sunday nixtamalized tortilla with Creole and local corn!
Enjoy our sweet and sour kale chips for children and not so children!

FOLLOW US!

FACEBOOKFACEBOOK    TWITTERTWITTER    INSTAGRAMINSTAGRAM

SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER!

CompartirShare       TweetTweet             forwardForward 

How Pastoral Farming Can Help to Avoid a Biodiversity Crisis

The world is losing its biodiversity. An estimated 41,000 animal species are now threatened with extinction. World leaders will convene at the UN COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal this month to discuss ways of reversing this decline.

Participants are expected to adopt a global framework that sets out measures to safeguard biodiversity. One approach is to conserve 30% of the world’s land and sea area through protected areas and other conservation measures in areas of limited human activity. Some campaigners are calling for this target to be met by the end of the decade.

But much of the land set aside for protection is occupied by indigenous people who may be excluded or displaced. Mobile pastoral farmers are one such group. Millions of pastoralists graze livestock across a variety of environments worldwide.

Case studies from around the world indicate that including pastoral communities in conservation initiatives can help to address the tensions that emerge around protected areas, while improving biodiversity.

KEEP READING ON THE CONVERSATION

Wrapping Up COP27

SHARM AL-SHEIKH – COP27 ends with an agreement for a “Loss and Damage” fund without any implementation plans or consensus to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, this means very little progress for solid recommendations for climate action and achieving net-zero emissions urged by the UNFCCC to avoid the catastrophic tipping points of a +1.5C warmer planet.

Sponsored by companies such as Coke, with a presidency held by a military government that severely represses its citizens (in a holiday resort far away from the realities of the Egyptian people) we were never going to expect much from the outcome of COP27 to shift the international community away from its business-as-usual pattern.

However there were some good works made by many.

Despite these circumstances, Regeneration International sent a small and dedicated delegation to COP27, where it joined forces with friends and partners such as AFSA, IPES-Food, IFOAM Organics International, SEKEM, ONAMIAP and the “4 per 1000” Initiative to advocate evidence and concrete examples of how agroecology, regenerative agriculture and indigenous agrobiodiversity (preserving traditional seeds) can reverse global warming and nourish communities. The management of soils, their organic matter, and their capacity to build back ecological stability, including sequestering carbon, must be in every negotiation and commitment since it is the hope we have for a livable planet.

Our team also had the chance to interview some light bearing figures in our movement; you can watch them by clicking on the links below.

Interview with Karen Mapusua, President of IFOAM Organics International at COP27

Meet our dear friend Karen Mapusua, President of IFOAM – Organics International, promoting agroecology and regenerative organic food systems as a way to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Interview with AFSA’s Bridget Mugambe at COP27

RI’s Africa Coordinator Precious Phiri and Bridget Mugambe of AFSA (Alliance of Food Sovereignty in Africa) and gain insight into Africa’s most prominent civil society and their actions to regenerate the climate emergency through agroecology. 

Interview with Uganda Parliament Member Kayaa Christine Nakimwero at COP27

Watch our interview with Kayaa Christine Nakimwero, a member of Parliament in Uganda who is campaigning for seed sovereignty to ensure climate resiliency and food security in Africa.

RI was also an official partner of the Future Economy Forum organized by SEKEM. Together with many other partners and friends, we formed the regenerative movement’s most significant gathering since RI’s congregation in 2015 at COP21 in Paris. A series of dialogues and events offered a space for the regeneration movement to merge our strengths, strategies, and ideas and move forward together for regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration.

 For the first time in COP history, Agriculture and food systems were highlighted as a top priority. With the UNFCCC’s Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture implementing plans for climate action through agriculture and the COP hosting more than 200 side events on food and agriculture, the momentum for food and farming is there to stay. Yet, much of the COP misused the term regenerative, and very few side events promoted anything but regenerative and agroecological practices. GMOs, lab meat, and no-till glyphosate-drenched practices were on the menu of most side events, with the Food Systems Pavilion opening with pro-GMO/industry rhetoric from various members of AGRA and other green revolution advocates. 

 RI participated in several side events, including the “4 per 1000” High-Level Segment promoting tangible and shovel-ready regenerative practices such as holistic planned grazing and regenerative agroforestry via our Billion Agave Project. Our presence was all the most important and has allowed us to unite with our partners in preparation for COP28 to aggregate the true policymakers, scientists, advocates, and practitioners of change to form an ironclad alliance with our partners. 

 

Being in South Sinai, our COP delegation took the opportunity to visit the Habiba Community, located only a few hour’s drive from the COP negotiations. Deeply integrated into the Bedouin cultural landscape, this organic farm is empowering women and training hundreds of small hold farmers across 75 farms to adapt and mitigate climate change using regenerative practices. 

 

Despite the many circus like confusion that went together with hosting a COP in a place for the World’s rich, we are glad we were there, together with our allies. There is still a lot of ground to be covered, we need more and more civil society representatives in the negotiation rooms. We need to get in touch with country-based negotiators so that we can also influence the outcomes of these negotiations. As earlier stated, we look forward to the next COP, this time with much bigger numbers from our movement. It is needed. 

Monthly Newsletter – Vía Orgánica

For organic regenerative agriculture, fair trade,
social justice, sustainable living and sustainable production 

Ranch news

EDUCATIONAL RANCH VIA ORGÁNICA

Vía Orgánica ranch was born as a connection space between producers and consumers. Its first space was a store designed to publicize local, wild, artisanal products, coming from the hands of guardians of some natural landscape. It was the producers who inspired this project and continue to motivate it, which is why we dedicate this newsletter to the families of organic producers who take care of the planet and feed the world.

The need we have as consumers to have healthy, seasonal, local, diversified food and above all grown with agroecological techniques; that improve the soil and preserve the species of flora and fauna, is increasing. The educational ranch concentrates and is an example of the different models of food production in semi-arid landscapes, expressing in a creative and beautiful way the work that many farmers carry out. We promote their wisdom and knowledge in activities that we spread through our tours and workshops. We allow to create a connection with what we consume and we offer the possibility of choosing and thinking about our consumption in favor of the solidarity economy, our health and the planet’s health too.

The educational ranch is a space to think about how our food gets to our table and the challenges that imply for each producer who resists and remains in their territory, which is why our relation offers another possibility to resume our food landscape with greater awareness.

Throughout our history, a network of more than 120 seasonal producers has been strengthened, who in small extensions of land, are given the task of maintaining traditional knowledge of food production, processing and conservation and offer their products in various stores, responsible in the region.

Choose your plan!

All November visit the ranch from Monday to Sunday and learn all about the Ofrenda that will be displayed with products from the milpa and the semi-arid landscape in tribute to the producers and leaders who have left.

Do not miss the whole month of hiking in the mountains! You can now come and collect your pumpkin to bake with butter, or make a pie.

Book your visit!

Billion Agave Project

Halfway through autumn, the Billion Agave Project advances with achievements and challenges, integrating more producers, teachers, researchers, environmentalists and decision makers to immerse themselves in this soil regeneration initiative with two dominant species of the semi-desert: the maguey plants and the mesquite trees.

Over two years we’re still learning about the nature of these species; the mesquites propagated by air layering and now distributed in the field while associated with native bushes and trees of the Jalpa Valley, show us their great capacity for adaptation and development.

As for the agaves, we learn about the management of this species, we have adapted tools such as clearings and coas for cleaning pruning and use of the agave leaves. We also explore the use of aggregation pheromones for the monitoring and control of the agave weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus), considered the main pest of the species.

Seasonal Crop

Guavas and the first tangerines begin to be harvested. Crops are raised for storage after the rainy season. The honey harvest begins in the region.

Do It Yourself

During the month of November, the temperature may begin to drop and you will receive the first frosts in your garden or orchard. Here we share some tips to maintain your plants.

– Water in the evening to prevent your plants from frost burn.

– If you have a blanket to cover your plants at night that can lower the temperature, take advantage of it, or use agrovelo or a sky blanket that allows you to lower the temperature below 0 degrees Celsius.

– Get ready to plant root crops that tolerate low temperatures such as radishes, carrots, turnips, garlic, onions, beets and also leaves such as lettuce, arugula and spinach. They love cool temperatures.

– Your orchard will be less colorful because the cold reduces flowering. But surely you can have a delicious salad harvested from your garden all year round.

Cooking Time

TAMALES DE MUERTO RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 

– 2 kg of black corn dough for tamales
– 1/2 kg of pork lard
– Chicken broth (as needed)
– Corn husks for tamales

FOR THE SAUCE: 

– 10 ancho peppers without seeds hydrated in hot water
– 2 large garlic cloves
– 1 small onion
– 1 tablespoon of butter
– salt and pepper to taste
– 1/2 ranchero cheese

PROCEDURE FOR THE SAUCE

Grind the peppers, garlic and onion with a little of the liquid in which the peppers are hydrated, heat the butter and add the sauce. Cook for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. The sauce should be thick.

PROCEDURE TO PREPARE THE DOUGH

Cream the pork lard with a little salt until it changes color, then add the dough and a little broth and stir until the dough fluffs and is smooth. Mix vigorously until when you put a small piece of dough into a glass of water it floats.

The dough does not have to be very loose. Once ready, pour half of this dough on a clean and damp cotton cloth, spreading the dough with your hands. Spread using a spoon, half of the sauce and half of the cheese. Roll up with the help of the cloth, cut into slices and put each piece on the corn husks previously hydrated with hot water. Prepare a steamer, arrange the tamales horizontally and cook for one hour.

Enjoy your delicious tamales this Day of the Dead season with a delicious pumpkin atole.

Inspirations

This month in which we honor our deceased, we do not forget and honor those who gave their lives to defend the environment and therefore all of us. This 2022 they have been assassinated: Verónica Patricia Guerrero Vinueza, Francisco Vázquez Domínguez, José Trinidad Baldenegro, Néstor Iván Merino Flores, Patricia Rivera Reyes, Teófilo Barrera Herrera, Marcelo Carrera Reyes, Omar and Jesús Bañuelos Acevedo. We demand justice and an end to violence against defenders in Mexico and around the world.

November Activities

December Activities

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT US!

Remember that we are open from 8 am to 6 pm
Carretera México/ Querétaro, turnoff  to Jalpa, km 9
Agroecological Park Vía Orgánica.
For information on our products, seeds and harvest,
call our store at 442 757 0490.
Every Saturday and Sunday nixtamalized tortilla with Creole and local corn!
Enjoy our sweet and sour kale chips for children and not so children!

FOLLOW US!

FACEBOOKFACEBOOK    TWITTERTWITTER    INSTAGRAMINSTAGRAM

SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER!

CompartirShare       TweetTweet             forwardForward 

Tag Archive for: environment

Nothing Found

Sorry, no posts matched your criteria