Ten Years in Defense of the Milpa, Native Corns and Mexican Biodiversity

07/14/2023/by Mercedes López Martínez, Delegate for the Demanding Collective Against GMO Corn

What is the trial’s objective?

The class action’s goal is that federal courts declare or acknowledge the following four matters:

That genetically modified organism (GMOs), GM, or transgenic corn have been released with no legal authorization.
That the fact that GM corn exists in the field without permits, violates human rights to native corns biological diversity of current and future generations; to food; to health, to a healthy environment and cultural rights, amongst them free will.
That the commercial release of GM corn will surpass established limits in that applicable legislation, which will generate human rights violations.
That all permits to plant GM corn be denied in Mexico.

Precautionary measure SCJN ratification

A strategic advancement was the granting of a precautionary measure in September 2013 that prevents commercial planting of genetically modified corn, strengthening the background of the lawsuit, which does not intend an economic profit, but the definitive denial of permits for the release or planting of transgenic corn in the country, and that tribunals definitively ban planting of genetically modified corns in the center of origin and permanent diversification.

Since 2013 to date legal seeding of transgenic corn has been prevented in the Mexican territory. Pre-commercial and commercial permits are suspended by court order. Besides, since 2016, if the agribusiness attempts to plant for scientific purposes, it will have to subject itself to court reports and questionings by the collectivity and its scientists. For 7 years they have NOT dared to apply. By ruling of the SCJN (Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation), this measure will prevail until definitive resolution of the trial.

Despite over 130 challenges from the transgenic companies, precautionary measure was ratified by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation in August 2021, acknowledging the importance of upholding, and preserving cultural biodiversity through 64 races and thousands of corn varieties that, despite being the base of over 600 dishes and drinks, it is part of the integrality of traditions, culture, rites, and celebrations in Mexico.

Besides, the Supreme Court determined that judges that intervene in a class action trial can dictate any measure deemed appropriate to protect rights and interests of a Collectivity if it meets the law requirements.

This fact constitutes one of the biggest victories in defense of agri-food sovereignty not only for Mexico, but to all the world. Imagine one day, only one day with no corn, atole, tamales, gorditas, sopes, tlacoyos, tacos, tlayudas, popcorn, huaraches, chileatole, and corncobs, it would be a real tragedy. This ruling is also momentous for beekeeping sector and for bees themselves, as part of biodiversity, that have been severely affected by the admission of transgenics such as soy and corn, as well as agrochemicals usage such as glyphosate.

Thus, during these 10 years we must congratulate ourselves on the big international victory that represents stopping powerful transnational companies like Bayer-Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow Agrosciences and Phi Mexico (known as DuPont-Corteva) alongside of Sagarpa and Semarnat, authorities that were accomplices a decade ago, without a care of the pollution of native corns nor the fatality that their herbicide glyphosate, whose damages have been documented by dozens of scientific researches without conflict of interest; damages demonstrated by over 100 thousand lawsuits against Bayer-Monsanto in the United States because of damages caused by glyphosate, mostly for generating cancer.

“The Court ratifies: commercial planting of transgenic corn banned in Mexico”, October 13, 2021.

… Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) denied unanimously the Amparo under revision that was promoted in 2016 by the companies Bayer-Monsanto, Syngenta, PHI Mexico amongst others, to lift the Precautionary Measure which definitively banned genetically modified corn commercial planting in Mexico.

In the resolution project, drawn up by ministry Norma Lucía Piña Hernández, is established that at no time the 2016 ruling was in contradiction of the legal certainty and discretion principles, arguments that were invoked by the companies to lift the Precautionary Measure…

This court decision means that commercial planting of transgenic corn is still banned in Mexico, whereas experimental planting is permitted under certain conditions, such as previous notification to a judge…

This sentence, implies and advance compared to previous decades and legislations, was ratified today by the SCJN.

From the collective lawsuit against transgenic corn, we claim that “coexistence” of transgenic corn and native corn is not possible, according to research in other nations that demonstrate where transgenics are planted, there is contamination by pollen carried by the wind or pollinators action. To legalize planting will promote this contamination that directly threatens biodiversity and the most important agricultural genetic patrimony of Mexico, passed on by millions of farmers and indigenous peoples that created it and safeguard it today.

It is important to point out that being one of the most important cereals in the world by its production volume, versatility in use and adaptability to diverse climate conditions, corn has become a spoil for these companies, a rather juicy business that without the presidential decree, for the year of 2025 would have implied import of 39 million tons of yellow corns from the United States, over 90% GM, which would have resulted in a profit of 2,200 millions of dollars a year; besides de contamination of our native corns.

Juicy business that they’re missing on thanks to a decade of struggle and resistance by a community defending free, diverse, and resilient corn seeds and milpa produce, whose goal is ecological agriculture to fight climate change, defend and preserve traditional food, water, land and pollinators.

War intensifies from various fronts attacking the lawsuit, and presidential decree to gradually stop importation of glyphosate and protect native corns, as well as hinder laws to preserve maize and promote food sovereignty – from the head of Secretary of Agriculture and the National Agribusiness Council, ally of big transnationals -; but it is also important to highlight that resistance continues and grows, such as the “Moratorium of the People”, that bans transgenics on fields and tables.

Especially, the active resistance of the farmer and indigenous communities stands out, that despite all, they still produce milpa and corns allowing the richness of this big gene pool to continue. Communities have allowed that the milpa, millennial tradition to remain alive, as a model of farmer science that is part of the solution, through regenerative models, before the current planetary crisis.

Number 10 is sacred in diverse cultures and communities, such as Pythagoras claimed, for whom it represented action supporting us in what was learned. We hope that these 10 years we will continue attracting happiness, abundance, and above all to achieve our goal that the judicial authority declares the release of transgenic corns as harmful to the human right of biological diversity of native corns for current and future generations, just as health rights.

There still is a long way to travel to achieve the definitive prohibition of planting of GM Corn in Mexico, to protect the preservation and diversification of native corns, of milpa and the indigenous and farmers people’s rights, just as the right to a healthy environment and related rights. The sentence and Precautionary Measure will have far-reaching implications for the Collectivity of 125 million consumers, that defend the rights to biodiversity of native corns and to a healthy environment, without them food sovereignty and health protection cannot be guaranteed.

We invite you to keep informing yourselves about our defense of biodiversity and native corns through our social networks. We appreciate the media that have supported us through this important fight.

There still is a resolution left – what steps do we need to take for the definitive protection of Mexican corn? 125 million consumers.

Main Trial

The next trial stages have concluded: preliminary admission of the lawsuit, lawsuit certification (period that prevailed despite 11 amparo trials), conciliation hearing amongst parts with no agreement reached, preparation and submitting of evidence, trial’s final hearing, and presentation of final arguments.

On the file that at the present has approximately 23,000 pages, the jury made already established a date to give a judgement of trial in first instance, what could come about a few weeks or months, depending on their workload.

Future sentencing can be appealed from both parts, whilst in its considerations and resolutions, and in possible irregularities during procedure.

Defendants in this class action are: Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow Agrosciences, PHI Mexico, and the federal government through the secretaries of Agriculture and Environment; agency that, manifested to the federal courthouses that it will comply with the Decree that ordains federal authorities, under the law, amongst other things, deny planting of GM corn permits, published on December 31^st, 2020 on the Official Journal of the Federation.

Before the judge resolves the class action trial, we won an Appeal Court Sentence in which the jury is ordained to take into consideration all the elements that are necessary to give a judgement (for example incomplete translation of scientific articles, that defendant companies pretend to hide during trial), and that Monsanto company does not have the privilege of presenting evidence without comply with requirements established by law.

In 10 years, 18 judicial bodies have known the class action corn, including First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, dozens of objections have been resolved, with a majority agreeing with the Collectivity.

Monthly Newsletter – Vía Orgánica

07/06/2023/by Vía Orgánica

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

Water

The roof of the tent has a sediment trap made of fine mesh and a section of pipe, which allows the waste to go to the bottom and the water to be stored cleaner. It is a good model to reproduce this system in homes or schools.

At one end of the ranch we built three “bordos”, large earth cavities located at the bottom of the hill, which are fed by the rainwater that runs down the hillside and allow us to store millions of liters of water, which is pumped to supply the maintenance needs of the chicken farm, the nursery, the organic fertilizer area, the vermicompost and the vegetable garden.

We emphasize that one of the most important activities of the Via Organica project is rainwater harvesting, which allows the ranch to be perceived as a small green mole, an oasis in the dry season and has allowed us to sustain 80% of production with this collection system.

Packages

This season take advantage of our packages, stay at the ranch, enjoy a delicious meal and learn. Live a unique experience.

Billion Agave Project

Infographics

Seasonal Crop

Recipe of the Month

Gualumbos “Maguey Flower”

Ingredients:
– 1 bunch of gualumbos
– 3 ranch eggs
– 2 tablespoons of flour
– 1 pinch of salt
– Pepper to taste
– Oil for frying
– 2 tablespoons of flour

For the sauce:
– 4 boiled tomatoes
– 1 garlic
– 1 piece of onion
– Salt to taste
– 1 sprig of thyme

Procedure:
1.- Collect the flowers of the maguey pulquero once the quiote has emitted its stem and selects its petals, preventing the pistil (what is inside the flower) from leaving.

2. Put water to boil and add the petals for 5 minutes, drain them.

3.- Once dry, place them in a container, add the two eggs and the two tablespoons of flour, salt and pepper to taste and mix everything.

4.- Take a portion of the mixture and form pancakes, fry them in the oil on both sides.

5.- Blend the tomatoes with the piece of onion and the garlic clove, cook the seasoning sauce; Serve the pancakes on a plate, pour the sauce over them and garnish with the sprig of thyme.

Enjoy the traditional recipe for pulquero maguey flowers this season, to take advantage of an exquisite dish that only produces one cluster of flowers per maguey.

Meet Our Producers

“Predio El Cortijo”

This project located in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, has been dedicated for more than 40 years to soil conservation, rescue and conservation of the Mesquite forest and other native species. Directed by Mrs. Virginia, they produce and distribute mesquite flour, jellies, liquors and mesquite firewood with organic management practices.

Every year, they celebrate a milling festival, opening their doors to the public to recover and spread the importance of mesquite consumption.

Check out their products at the Vía Orgánica store.

Inspirations

International Soil Conservation Da

Soil Conservation Day has been celebrated every July 7 since 1963, in memory of Dr. Hugh Hammond Bennet, an American scientist considered a pioneer in this field, who dedicated himself to researching soil quality and its productive capacity, documenting the benefits of soil conservation for the environment. The commemoration seeks to highlight the benefits of sustainable soil management, which if depleted and lost, puts our food and our lives at risk.

We share with you this video about the Ecosystem Restoration Camp that took place in our Agroecological Ranch.

July Workshops

August Workshops

EVERY FRIDAY WE TAKE YOU TO THE VIA ORGANICA RANCH

*Includes transportation, food, mini tour of the orchard, and demonstration of making tamales.
RESERVE ON THE FOLLOWING PHONES:
Office: 44 2757 0441
Whatsapp: 41 5151 4978

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!

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Reflections: from Africa

07/05/2023/by Precious Phiri

It feels like year 2023 should be over already. It’s been an incredibly wonderful year with many wonderful outcomes and collaborations, but also a year that hit us hard as RI family after we lost one of our greatest minds, Ronnie Cummins. I am however incredibly proud of our small team, the great loss, and great spirit of resiliency that we are all experiencing says so much about how important this work is for us who are alive and those that departed. We will forever be grateful for the great shoulders of the fallen, we stand solid because of their blood and sweat. Here’s a brief outlook of how things have been unfolding in the world of regeneration, in my world.

This year we have continued to engage at country, sub region and regional level through networks. When we collaborate efforts and create platforms for learning, we have an incredible potential to reverse land degradation, enable security and sovereignty in the food systems and bring about abundance thinking and thriving for all. We are part of different working groups at the Seed and Knowledge Initiative, including work on Landscape level regeneration, Engaging youths for Agroecology, and creating Agroecology courses for all to have hands on experience. There is a pool of knowledge and excitement about what’s possible as we combine efforts. These network efforts are enablers of whole systems approach in our actions towards regenerative communities and influencing policy makers.

There is a lot of activity and intensified communication in the region that is challenging the status quo. Here is a film produced by our friends at AFSA called The Seed Struggle in Africa .

“…We hope that this film will inspire change in advocating for food sovereignty and brings to light the urgent, pivotal issues facing African farmers today. Through the lens of this film, we delve into a reality often overlooked – the struggle for control over the bedrock and source of agriculture, the seed. The freedom to feed oneself, the power to decide what grows on our farms and gardens, what we eat on our plate and the assurance of having food to feed our family are more than just basic rights – they are the epitome of true freedom. Yet, this is the freedom that is being threatened today. The ‘Seed Struggle in Africa’ shatters this industry narrative, shedding light on the realities of the farming sector in Africa and the silent war being waged over its seeds. It is a call to action, a plea for awareness, and a testament to the power of truth.” An excerpt from AFSA

We recently read from RI international Director Andre Leu who was calling out hijackers of regenerative agriculture. This messaging is important in these times where greenwashing is rampant. Working together, we have to take ownership of regeneration, by understanding and creating connectedness, emergence, non-linearity, and adaptation in all projects. Our network is growing and 102 of our partners are in the African continent, this growth is exciting. The more voices we have, including a representation of youth, women and different groups, the better are our chances of showing a broad impact that will vibrate across the world.

Case study: Community work in Hwange, Zimbabwe

It’s important to understand that local actions done by different communities build up the global story of a regenerative world that we all dream of. Here are a few pictures and lessons on the journey so far with communities we work with here in Zimbabwe.

Identifying community interests and what brings them together for collaborations. We have used regenerative fairs, to celebrate seeds and harvest from ecological farming practices and landscape level regeneration.

We recently used sport to bring together youths and the elderly in farming regeneration to celebrate efforts of work while sharing information to a new group of people. This gathering brought together just over 600 people to have fun and learn together.

Hosting exchange visits with other communities, Learning from successes and the challenges of others alike. The regenerative design work looks different in each community, but we have an opportunity to harvest principles that have kept others going. We are also using these meetings as opportunity to dive into our traditional foods harvested from the farmers’ fields.

Supporting some key drivers for communities like soil health management and livestock health management programs. These are done in partnership with government departments like the agric extension and vet.

Looking forward:

The landscape is uneasy, the COP meetings are proving to be a mockery of small holder groups efforts, but we are all standing in solidarity, looking ahead for a regenerative world. Nothing is more powerful than hope and a united voice. We are looking forward to a wonderful rest of the year. Our global team is getting into the rhythm of dancing with broken bones as we keep honoring the great work and dreams of Ronnie. For Regeneration.

California Proposes to Hijack Regenerative Agriculture

07/03/2023/by By Dr. André Leu, D.Sc., BA Com., Grad Dip Ed, International Director, Regeneration International

“Regenerative agriculture provides answers to the soil crisis, the food crisis, the climate crisis, and the crisis of democracy.” Dr. Vandana Shiva

California has unilaterally decided to define Regenerative Agriculture. It is a subnational government with no formal role in the Regenerative Agriculture movement.

It has a state government with entrenched bureaucracies, such as The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), that regulate and condone some of the world’s worst excesses in industrial-scale Degenerative Agriculture on the planet.

California has the highest toxic pesticide use in the US, some of the worst excesses in industrial-scale monocultures such as the almond and other fruit and vegetable farms in the Central Valley that have destructively tilled bare soil, drenched with toxic herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers. It has large scale cruel, confined animal feeding operations. California has an unsustainable use of water. These farms are causing severe health damage to people and the environment.

Photo credit: Unsplash

The CDFA is taking submissions from interest groups. This includes agribusiness poison cartels such as Bayer/Monsanto, Syngenta, and others trying to hijack and greenwash their degenerative systems as regenerative agriculture.

The CDFA has never been involved in the regenerative agriculture movement, and this move to make a Californian definition without consulting the major regenerative organizations and including non-regenerative groups, is hijacking. The last thing the world needs is a subnational government with such a terrible record in farming systems hijacking regenerative agriculture so it can greenwash its degenerative systems.

Regeneration International is the largest and most significant regenerative organization on the planet, with 500 partners in over 70 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Australasia, the Pacific, North America, and Europe. We are the people who started the global regeneration movement.

Leaders of the organic, agroecology, holistic management, environment, and natural health movements started Regeneration International as a genuinely inclusive and representative umbrella organization. We aimed to establish a global network of like-minded agricultural, environmental, health, and social organizations to regenerate agriculture, our health, environment, climate, and communities – which is what we have done. We continue to grow every week.

Due to the diversity of like-minded partners, regenerative agriculture is now being used as an umbrella term for the many farming systems that use techniques such as longer rotations, cover crops, green manures, legumes, compost, and organic fertilizers. These include organic agriculture, agroforestry, agroecology, permaculture, holistic grazing, silvopasture, syntropic farming, and other agricultural systems that increase soil organic matter/carbon. Soil organic is an essential proxy for soil health – as soils with low levels are not healthy.

The regeneration movement is an innovative, dynamic space. Regeneration International has opposed simple definitions and attempts to make standards as these will inhibit this innovative movement.

Defining Regenerative Agriculture.

By definition: Regenerative systems improve the environment, soil, health, animal welfare, and communities.

The opposite of Regenerative is Degenerative

By definition: Agricultural systems that use Degenerative practices and inputs that damage the environment, soil, health, and communities and involve animal cruelty, such as synthetic toxic pesticides, synthetic water-soluble fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, confined animal feeding operations, and destructive tillage systems, are not Regenerative.

They must be called out as Degenerative Agriculture.

Regenerative and Organic based on Agroecology – the path forward.

RI’s perspective: All agricultural systems should be regenerative and organic using the science of agroecology.

Regeneration must be seen as a way to improve systems. Practitioners must determine what practices are acceptable and what practices are degenerative and, therefore, unacceptable. The criteria to analyze this must be based on the Four Principles of Organic Agriculture. These principles are clear and effective ways to decide what practices are Regenerative and what are Degenerative.

Health

Organic agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human, and the planet as one and indivisible.

Ecology

Organic agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.

Fairness

Organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness in the familiar environment and life opportunities.

Care

Organic agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the environment.

Ronnie Cummins, one of our founders, clearly stated: “Regenerative agriculture and animal husbandry is the next and higher stage of organic food and farming, not only free from toxic pesticides, GMOs, chemical fertilizers, and factory farm production, and therefore good for human health; but also regenerative in terms of the health of the soil.”

The last thing the Regenerative Agriculture movement needs is government interference by a committee of non-stakeholder bureaucrats making definitions. The French Government’s agroecology definition was a crude attempt to greenwash industrial agriculture and the use of synthetic toxic pesticides and fertilizers. It was done without input from the global agroecology movement and has weakened the integrity of agroecology.

Similarly, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization promotes a version of agroecology that allows synthetic toxic pesticides and fertilizers, which has divided the agroecology movement.

We have seen the same with the government regulation of certified organic agriculture favoring large-scale industrial organic systems over small-family farmers. The USDA regulations have been hijacked to allow hydroponics, industrial-scale cruel animal factories, synthetic feed supplements, cancer-causing nitrate preservatives, highly processed junk foods, and various derogations that have fractured the organic movement and consumers.

As the founders of the international regenerative agriculture movement, Regeneration International will continue to lead, and we will call out attempts to hijack and greenwash.

Degenerative Agriculture: Bayer/Monsanto’s and Syngenta’s Toxic Greenwashing Deception

06/29/2023/by Dr. André Leu, D.Sc., BA Com., Grad Dip Ed. International Director, Regeneration International

“Regenerative agriculture and animal husbandry is the next and higher stage of organic food and farming, not only free from toxic pesticides, GMOs, chemical fertilizers, and factory farm production, and therefore good for human health; but also regenerative in terms of the health of the soil.” Ronnie Cummins

Bayer/ Monsanto, Syngenta, and other members of the poison cartel are trying to greenwash their toxic industrial farming systems by hijacking Regenerative Agriculture.

The Opposite of Regenerative is Degenerative

By definition, agricultural systems that use Degenerative practices and inputs that damage the environment, soil, and health and involve animal cruelty, such as synthetic toxic pesticides, synthetic water-soluble fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, confined animal feeding operations, and destructive tillage systems, are not Regenerative.

They must be called out as Degenerative Agriculture.

The poison cartels justify these degenerative systems by saying their ‘precision farming’ techniques are reducing the environmental impact of their pesticides. This is an outright lie. The evidence shows that the amounts, environmental contamination, and negative impacts on human health of toxic, synthetic pesticides have increased.

The introduction of genetically modified crops such as Corn, Cotton, and Soy has resulted in a rapid increase in the use of glyphosate and other toxic herbicides

The above graph shows that the use of glyphosate, the active ingredient of Roundup, rocketed upwards in the late 1990s when Roundup-ready GMO crops were introduced.

The only credible, independent, non-industry funded, peer-reviewed lifetime feeding study of GMOs and Roundup was published by Séralini et al. It found mammary and other tumors, liver and kidney damage resulting from regular exposure to minute amounts of Roundup or a diet containing GMO corn or both – similar to the typical exposure from non-organic foods.

The image above is of a rat with large mammary tumors due to consuming glyphosate at the usual levels found in non-organic foods. The tumors on the right-hand side, starting from the top, result from just eating GMO corn, GMO corn with Roundup, and just Roundup.

All the female rats in the study that were fed GMOs or Roundup or both (Treated Group) developed mammary tumors and died earlier than those fed non-GMO food without Roundup (Control Group), except for one rat who died early of an ovarian tumor.

Treated males had four times the number of tumors that were large enough to be felt by hand than the controls, and these occurred up to six hundred days earlier.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer reviewed numerous scientific studies on glyphosate, giving it the second-highest rating for Cancer – Group 2A. They found sufficient evidence of animal cancers, such as thyroid cancer, and limited evidence of human cancers, most notably non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Dr. Nancy Swanson, myself, and co-authors published a peer-reviewed paper, “Genetically engineered crops, glyphosate and the deterioration of health in the United States of America,” showing how glyphosate and GMOs are linked to over 20 chronic diseases in the U.S. The increase in thyroid cancer was one of them.

There are thousands of studies showing the damaging effects of synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and GMOs on the environment and human health. These toxic inputs are clearly degenerative and have no place in regenerative agriculture.

The Founders of Regeneration International Started the Global Regeneration Revolution

Leaders of the organic, agroecology, holistic management, environment, and natural health movements started Regeneration International as a genuinely inclusive and representative umbrella organization in 2015. Hardly anyone had heard of regenerative agriculture before then. It is in the news every day worldwide now because of our initial actions.

The founding steering committee included Dr. Vandana Shiva from Navdanya, Ronnie Cummins from the Organic Consumers Association, Dr. Hans Herren from The Millennium Institute, Steve Rye from Mercola, and myself, Dr. André Leu, President of IFOAM-Organics International at that time. It was soon expanded to include relevant leaders from every continent.

We are the largest and most significant regenerative organization on the planet, with 500 partners in over 70 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Australasia, the Pacific, North America, and Europe.

Regeneration International has a mission to promote, facilitate and accelerate the global transition to regenerative food, farming, and land management to regenerate the environment and climate and end world hunger. We must rebuild deteriorated social, ecological, and economic systems.

As the founders of the international regenerative agriculture movement, we will continue to lead, and we will call out attempts to hijack and greenwash for what it is – Degenerative Agriculture by toxic degenerative corporations.

Extinction or Regeneration

06/02/2023/by Regeneration International

May 11^th and 12^th, 2023, RI’s friends and affiliates, Compassion in World Farming and IPES-Food, hosted the Extinction or Regeneration conference in the heart of London at the Queen Elizabeth II Center in Westminster, which provided a platform for experts across the globe to share solutions for how we can transform our food and farming systems for better human, animal, and planetary health via a whole food systems approach to providing sufficient nutritious food for an expanding world population while remaining within the safe operating space of all nine planetary boundaries while protecting wild and domestic animals and restoring soils, oceans, forests, and biodiversity.

Watch this presentation by Regeneration International’s international director Dr. André Leu to learn about RI’s current project to scale up regenerative organic agriculture globally and eliminate rural poverty.

Full talks featuring Dr. Vandana and Dr. André Leu from the Extinction or Regeneration 2023 event are available here.

Talk by Dr. Vandana Shiva Talk by Dr. Andrè Leu
.

Monthly Newsletter – Vía Orgánica

06/02/2023/by Vía Orgánica

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

Bees

Photo credit: Joel Caldwell

The bees buzz and buzz all day long, making music over the blooming trees or flowers in the gardens. This wonderful team of bees is part of the ranch’s seasons.

Thanks to them we have been able to maintain the abundant diversity of plant species in this landscape. Several years ago the first boxes were installed to begin this wonderful experience. Currently there are two apiaries on each side of the ranch, which are maintained thanks to the support of Ercilia, Vero, Montse and some volunteers who have joined us intermittently.

The flowering of the ranch ranges from nopales, garambullos, palo dulce, huizaches, gatillos, blackberries and a variety of flowers in the orchard, including medicinal ones. The honey collected in this area is especially exquisite and not only that, it represents the important relationship and recognizes the role of these beautiful insects and the benefits they bring us.

Throughout the year the apiary is managed depending on the season, it is important to feed the bees in winter with their own honey and to have water sources constantly available. In spring, when the flowering begins, the bees are unleashed and visit every flower very early, thanks to the two apiaries the bees cover every area of the ranch and there is not one that they do not visit.