Farmers Producing Native Seeds in Axochiapan, Morelos

This initiative is led by a group of campesinos and campesinas from the southeast of the state of Morelos, México, in the municipality of Axochiapan. Farmers from various communities, including Jolalpan, Tlalayo, and El Cebeta, have come together in a shared commitment to food security and environmental regeneration.

Inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si, the teams from Fundación Don Sergio Méndez Arceo and EPIC began collaborating with local farmers to strengthen sustainable agriculture in the region. Since 2015, they have facilitated workshops to raise awareness about the dangers of industrial chemical farming and to promote regenerative agricultural practices. Although this work is challenging, given the dependency created by agrochemical corporations, the farmers remain committed to encouraging agroecological methods among their fellow farmers.

With the support of EPIC partner Grupo Vicente Guerrero from Tlaxcala, the farmers of Axochiapan are also focused on preserving and reproducing native corn and bean seeds which are vital to their regional food systems and cultural heritage.

Five years ago, the group joined EPIC’s Tempisque Rice program. This rainfed variety appealed to the farmers as an additional staple to address food insecurity, as it does not depend on chemical inputs. One team member shared:

“As producers, we believe that cultivating this rainfed seed helps us respond to the challenges of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and soil degradation caused by prolonged agrochemical use. Our commitment is to grow this staple crop using agroecological techniques that allow us to: cultivate with dignity, protect our health and the health of the land, and work with a migratory seed that is resilient to climate change.”

Today, one of the group’s most urgent challenges is the lack of irrigation water, which is essential in the face of increasing droughts. In 2023, they lost their entire harvest due to no rainfall. In response, they are now working on a project to build a rainwater catchment pond to help secure future crops and build resilience.