Local farmers celebrating amaranth and reviving “ancient Mexico” in Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Mexico - From August to September, Puente a la Salud Comunitaria will hold four “Amaranth Day” events to celebrate local farmer’s success in cultivating amaranth. 150 amaranth farmers and their families will gather in Nochixtlán, Santa María Tlahuitolteec, San Antonio el Alto and San Miguel Peras to learn about amaranth and share their experiences in growing amaranth in this fun and exciting event. Event activities will include amaranth plant demonstrations, music, food and prizes for farmers.“Amaranth Day” events will be held in the following dates:
August 15th: La Cumbre, Asunción Nochixtlán
August 22nd: Rancho Tejas, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec
September 5th: El Peral, San Antonino el Alto
September 22nd: Temascal, San Miguel Peras
Amaranth, a highly nutritious plant native to Mexico, has long been forgotten since the Spanish conquest and is only known to our grandfathers today. The plant, including its seed and leaves, is exceptionally high in protein, calcium, fiber, iron and vitamin C. “In addition to its nutritional content, amaranth currently offers a more lucrative price compared to other major crops such as corn and provides farmers with an additional income” said Pete Noll, Executive Director of Puente a la Salud Comunitaria.
“Amaranth Day” events are part of Puente a la Salud Comunitaria’s larger Training Farmers project. With support from the Oaxaca Community Foundation and Heifer International, Puente recruited over 100 farmers in over 20 communities across the Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, and Mixteca regions to produce amaranth on a commercial scale.
The Training Farmers project is a direct response to the lack of economic activities and devastating health problems facing rural communities in Oaxaca. Census figure shows that 55.4% of Oaxacans working in agriculture are subsistence farmers, earning no monetary compensation for their work. Due to the lack of income-generating opportunities in the state, about 40% of Oaxacans leave their homes to work in other parts of Mexico. The goal of the project is to increase income generating opportunities for farmers while improving health conditions and lessening the burdens of out migration in rural communities.
“Amaranth has a long cultural history in Mexico and is an amazingly versatile plant that thrives in Oaxaca’s drought prone climate. By promoting amaranth production, this project will not only improve health and economic problems in rural communities, it also strengthens local cultural identity and unites various community leaders” said Julio César Córdova García, the Development Director at the Oaxaca Community Foundation. “ Puente a la Salud Comunitaria has developed an excellent methodology to help subsistence farmers to lift themselves out of poverty through increased access to income generating activities and a sustainable food source.”
“I like growing amaranth because it gives us more food options…..my youngest son was diagnosed as underweight by the local doctor in January, and the doctor suggested my son should eat more soup and other foods. I started feeding my son the atole drink with amaranth flour and now he is no longer underweight and recuperated from malnutrition.” Said Juana de Dios Vásquez López from San Antonino el Alto, an amaranth farmer participating in the project.
“Heifer International support’s Puente because of the organization’s clear vision in promoting new livelihood and sustainable food sources in Oaxaca. In addition, the project presents an innovative way to revitalize and reestablish the importance of the cultivation and the consumption of amaranth in our Mesoamerican culture.” said Santiago Chan Ozorio, Heifer Project International Coordinator Mexico South Pacific Zone.
“In the past five years, Puente has strived to implement a sustainable community development model to improve the lives of rural families in Oaxaca. Through the promotion of amaranth consumption and production, our programs effectively increase access to a local food source, economic opportunities and transform the lives of rural families in Oaxaca” said Pete Noll, the Executive Director of Puente.
About Puente a la Salud Comunitaria
Puente is a community based organization located in Oaxaca. The organization contributes to food sovereignty and advances the health and economic well being of rural communities in Mexico by promoting consumption, production, and commercialization of amaranth .Puente has enabled thousands of rural women, farmers and children to improve their health and economic well being in over 40 communities. For more visit: www.puentemexico.org
About Oaxaca Community Foundation
For the past 10 years, Oaxaca Community Foundation has been fully committed to providing relief to Oaxaca’s most marginal groups. For more visit: www.fundacion-oaxaca.org
About Heifer International
Heifer International was founded on a simple belief: ending hunger begins with giving people the means to feed themselves. Today, 9.2 million families in more than 125 countries move toward self-reliance through the gifts of livestock and training in environmentally sound agriculture. For more visit: www.heifer.org
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