Fall 2005

As you may recall, this project started in 1997, when Earthways supported an Ecuadorian permaculture specialist to train four members of a Guatemala NGO, AFOPADI (Association for Integrated Development) in organic food production. They in turn set out to reintroduce that form of agriculture into a traditional Mayan village which was suffering extreme poverty, malnutrition, and even starvation as a result of the war and deaths of a large percentage of men in the region. Those traumas, combined with centuries of being "done to" with no power to control their own destiny, had left the region’s women with a very passive attitude. Thus the facilitators (two of whom are themselves Mayan) focussed on not merely the practical aspects of organic food production, but also empowerment. For example, they would often ask the women to draw pictures of their dreams and then discuss what would be required to realize that dream, which would often be something like a house, a well, or a garden. Early on, it was revealed that what many of them desired was a sink in the back yard where they could wash vegetables, dishes, clothes, and babies, rather than having to squat and do it all in the mud beneath their sole source of running water, an outdoor faucet. Once the women began to think concretely about a particular need and discussions addressed what would be required to make such a "dream" happen, the facilitators would begin to look for the resources. Soon backyard sinks the women had requested were constructed, using local labor and donations from abroad. Similar small projects were implemented, some funded by Earthways, some by other groups. Meanwhile, the organic food production continued to be supported by Hunt Foundation. But with subtle changes.

Farmers arriving for class

Once several dozen organic gardens were producing, it became apparent to the project facilitators that a serious problem was the continued use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides on milpas– the traditional corn-and-bean patch which forms the basis of every rural Mayan’s diet. So little by little, emphasis shifted to the milpas. Discussions revolved around what would it take to make them organic without reducing production, which these marginal families could ill afford. Veronica, the Guatemalan woman who facilitates the agriculture project, has undertaken a remarkable range of activities on her small budget. In conjunction with the empowerment classes, she organized classes in how to make compost. She has literally dozens of "recipes" and shows, hands on, how to turn the corn and bean husks and poultry manure that the local people had considered worthless into compost which enriches the soil not only of small vegetable plots but also the larger corn-and-bean fields. Periodically, by bus, Veronica takes groups of upwards of 40 farmers (and since these farmers are mostly women, there would always be dozens of children along as well–so many, in fact, that it became necessary to limit accompanying children to nursing infants) to visit successful organic farms, in particular ones owned by other indigenous farmers. Casaca farmers saw for themselves the benefits of soil and water-conservation practices which could be applied to their own milpas. And of course, the discussion groups continued. But here too there has been a subtle change. Now, when a group assembles, it will be a mixture of men and women farmers (although still two-thirds women), and they will not all be from Casaca. Some will have traveled hours by bus or on foot from surrounding mountain villages, to learn this "new" (actually traditional) method of food production which does not require them to buy fertilizers and pesticides on credit. Initially, it was Veronica who promoted organic agriculture and encouraged the women to express themselves. Now, when the groups meet, the speakers are mainly local Casaca women themselves, explaining to other Mayan farmers what their successes have been, what problems they have had, and what they are doing to overcome the problems.

In May, Andrew and I visited Casaca. I was told by Veronica that these groups are moving forward more rapidly than the first ones. She attributes that to the fact that they are learning from each other. Those who went before point out problems and identify the more successful methods, even demonstrating their successes by walking classes through their now-organic milpas. The problem of low yields during the first two years after the switch to organic compost was resolved by the farmers themselves. They proposed switching just one tiny patch, perhaps two meters square, at a time. When that patch had gotten back up to its normal yield, then they’d switch a second patch, and so on, until the entire milpa was organic.

Meanwhile, under the direction of Veronica’s husband Eduardo, a project of family-sized silos was initiated, with the aim of providing each family with at least one safe place to store its corn where it would not be contaminated and consumed by insects and rats. Local men, not just from Casaca but also from surrounding communities, are receiving training in the craft of silo-building, so that as donor funds become available, more families can be provided with grain storage. About two-thirds of the families in the Casaca area have received a silo. In addition, three large silos have been installed, where members of the community who have not yet received a small silo, or whose small-silo store of grain has run out, can obtain clean well-protected corn as needed.

Veronica looking into large corn storage silo

Two other aspects of the Casaca project are showing similar progress. Early on, we identified a need for a "Resource House" that could serve as a place for the facilitators to stay and organize their work when they are were the village–this because the town where they live, Quetzaltenango, is a three-hour drive, so it is not safe or convenient to run back and forth daily. As the Resource House would also be used as a meeting place for the organic agriculture and capacitation groups, it was designed with appropriate technology like solar panels, composting toilet, and a filtration system for grey water. A Belgian NGO donated funds for the land, and Earthways contributed funds for construction of the house, which continues to function as intended. It provides accommodations for the project’s facilitators, volunteers, and visitors, and is a daily meeting place for local people involved as promotores–that is, villagers who have been capacitated to train others in their community.

Up until this year the Resource House was also used for the kind of empowerment meetings described earlier. But the groups, initially only a dozen women, soon outgrew the patio area where they regularly met. As farmers began attending from other villages, and meetings grew to 30 and 40 people, even the front yard of the Resource House was too small to accommodate them. So with funding from the same Belgian NGO, a building was constructed next door, specifically for meetings of up to 70 people. It includes an upstairs dormitory and cooking facilities for those who come from distant villages to take part in the interactive process of learning about organic agriculture from Casaca farmers who are already implementing it.

In summary, the organic food production project which Earthways initiated in 1997, which then consisted of a handful of Mayan women discussing their dreams and relearning the organic food production methods practised by their ancestors, has evolved into larger groups, coming from many different villages in this poverty-stricken region, to learn from their sisters how they too can raise a better quality food at lower cost for their families.

Mayan Farmers in Class & Out

POST-HURRICANE REPORT

When Andrew and I were in Guatemala in May, AFOPADI had just filled the big grain storage silos to provide a backup food supply for Casaca families who might not yet have a family-sized silo in their home, or not one big enough to hold a full year's supply of grain. The original plan was that Casacans would sell their surplus corn to this community storage facility, getting a better price than they would get if they sold it to middlemen in town. However, due to severe drought there was no surplus from the January 2005 harvest, and corn to fill the silos had to be purchased from the south of Guatemala. Because this required transport, it jacked up the price of the grain, but having been bought in bulk, and because AFOPADI was working on a non-profit basis, the local people still got corn at a much lower price than they would have had to pay otherwise. And the grain was of vastly better quality.

That was the situation in May. Those families with small silos at home had some corn from the recent harvest, but because of the drought and low yield, no one had enough to last more than a few months. By July, the 2000 pounds of corn in the big silos had been sold, and had the big silos were refilled. Then Hurricane Stan struck.

Mudslides resulted in many deaths in other villages throughout the Guatemala highlands, but no one in Casaca was killed. However, all crops were destroyed, in Casaca and right across the country. This included all the most basic foodstuffs of the campesinos: corn, beans, squash. The commercial price of grain soared, from $10 per quintal (approximately 100 pounds) to $16. Of course Casacans turned to the store of grain in their community silos, because that grain had been purchased before the hurricane struck and price was fixed, at just enough to cover costs.

AFOPADI has been training a community group called the "Commission of Agriculture" to be in charge of the community silo storage project. The Commission decided to ration the amount of grain each family could buy to 3 quintals each—this to prevent those with the money from buying for resale at inflated prices. In just two days, 70 families bought the maximum amountallowed—and our silos were once again empty! Since then, donor Robert Strock has contributed enough to refill the silos, thus keeping hunger away from the doors of the Mayan folks of Casaca as they replant their fields and continue their struggle for food self-sufficiency.

In January, Julie Seigel, a Chicago landscape designer, will travel to Casaca a group of friends taking funds and hands-on assistance for AFOPADI’s reforestation efforts in the region.

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