Paysages du maïs au Mexique
In situ conservation of crops, or conservation in farmers’ fields, has been a minor component in the conservation of genetic resources; ex situ methods have been the preferred option. Although conservation in farmers’ fields is thought to be aimed at conserving genes for geneticists, it happens beca...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Laboratoire Éco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Revue d'ethnoécologie |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/7520 |
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| author | Hugo Perales |
| author_facet | Hugo Perales |
| author_sort | Hugo Perales |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In situ conservation of crops, or conservation in farmers’ fields, has been a minor component in the conservation of genetic resources; ex situ methods have been the preferred option. Although conservation in farmers’ fields is thought to be aimed at conserving genes for geneticists, it happens because the well-being of many farmers’ households depends on traditional varieties. A review of the case of corn in Mexico is presented. The de facto conservation, without institutional intervention, of traditional maize varieties in Mexico is extensive and dynamic with more than 2 million farmers planting native varieties, these are planted on more than half of the 8 million hectares planted annually. For small-scale farmers, maize represents food security, more than a business or monetary income, and maize is not currently the main source of income for most of these farmers. Several of the main factors that determine the presence of traditional maize varieties in the landscape are described, among which the altitude, the quality of the agricultural land, the quality of grains and seeds’ flow. Based on maize races richness, central and western Mexico has the greatest diversity, and the richness has not significantly decreased in the last 60 years. Traditional maize varieties are not static and continue to change to meet specific demands. It is possible to interpret the case of maize in Mexico as evolutionary plant breeding within a food security objective, where farmers and natural selection of a broad genetic base continue to produce the seed that is essential for millions of farmers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-637b85a8361445258f3d69288a26c7a2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2267-2419 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Laboratoire Éco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue d'ethnoécologie |
| spelling | doaj-art-637b85a8361445258f3d69288a26c7a22025-02-05T16:25:05ZengLaboratoire Éco-anthropologie et EthnobiologieRevue d'ethnoécologie2267-24192021-11-01210.4000/ethnoecologie.7520Paysages du maïs au MexiqueHugo PeralesIn situ conservation of crops, or conservation in farmers’ fields, has been a minor component in the conservation of genetic resources; ex situ methods have been the preferred option. Although conservation in farmers’ fields is thought to be aimed at conserving genes for geneticists, it happens because the well-being of many farmers’ households depends on traditional varieties. A review of the case of corn in Mexico is presented. The de facto conservation, without institutional intervention, of traditional maize varieties in Mexico is extensive and dynamic with more than 2 million farmers planting native varieties, these are planted on more than half of the 8 million hectares planted annually. For small-scale farmers, maize represents food security, more than a business or monetary income, and maize is not currently the main source of income for most of these farmers. Several of the main factors that determine the presence of traditional maize varieties in the landscape are described, among which the altitude, the quality of the agricultural land, the quality of grains and seeds’ flow. Based on maize races richness, central and western Mexico has the greatest diversity, and the richness has not significantly decreased in the last 60 years. Traditional maize varieties are not static and continue to change to meet specific demands. It is possible to interpret the case of maize in Mexico as evolutionary plant breeding within a food security objective, where farmers and natural selection of a broad genetic base continue to produce the seed that is essential for millions of farmers.https://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/7520in situ conservationfood securitytraditional varietiesevolutionary plant breeding |
| spellingShingle | Hugo Perales Paysages du maïs au Mexique Revue d'ethnoécologie in situ conservation food security traditional varieties evolutionary plant breeding |
| title | Paysages du maïs au Mexique |
| title_full | Paysages du maïs au Mexique |
| title_fullStr | Paysages du maïs au Mexique |
| title_full_unstemmed | Paysages du maïs au Mexique |
| title_short | Paysages du maïs au Mexique |
| title_sort | paysages du mais au mexique |
| topic | in situ conservation food security traditional varieties evolutionary plant breeding |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/7520 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hugoperales paysagesdumaisaumexique |