The Corn Festival exalts the vital task of safeguarding and protecting the grain

San Juan Ixtenco, Tlax., With the presence of farmers and producers from the region, the 2024 Corn Festival is held in which artisans and scientific researchers also gather with the aim of disseminating the work of rescue and preservation of the diversity of native corn that is part of the country’s historical and cultural heritage, reported Cornelio Hernández Rojas, general coordinator of the meeting.

“The Corn Festival, or Ngo r’o Dethä (as it is written in Otomi) goes beyond a simple exhibition or sale of crafts and seeds, since each participant, from their profile, shows the vitality of an indigenous community that , silently, saved for years these native species that are now exhibited at the celebration,” he said.

The activist also in the fight for the preservation of native seeds, added that one of the main achievements is that the presence or the genoplasm of these native seeds, since they are now present in other communities and regions of the country, thus managing to keep historical species alive and facing the introduction of hybrid or genetically modified species, as the biotechnology giant Monsanto intended.

Space open to dialogue

Some of the varieties that can be seen on the tables of the participating exhibitors are old, they even date back to about 7 thousand years, such as corn-toecintle and garlic corn – Hernández Rojas said -, which correspond to the first phases of the domestication of grain in Mesoamerican culture and in current Mexico.

The Corn Fair has also become an open space for dialogue between farmers and academia, added Hernández Rojas, since farmers can be seen exchanging knowledge and experiences with researchers from other states and other countries, such as the specialist from the University of Warsaw, who after speaking at the table Law of water sources on the Malintzin volcanohe was seen chatting animatedly with the farmers.

San Juan Ixtenco is an indigenous community located in the eastern part of the foothills of the old Matlalcueyetl or Malinche volcano; It is inhabited by more than 7,500 people, the majority of Otomi origin, and is located in the extreme east of the state, with a population dedicated mainly to farm work and crafts.

The Corn Fair, which concludes tomorrow, had its first edition in 1995. It went through various stages of adjustment and definition of priorities. Some people have pointed out to us that the presence of government authorities would make the meeting more visible; However, I am sure that the presence of farmers, artisans and cooks is enough, since they are the main agents for keeping native corn alive; They are your true guardiansconcluded the coordinator with a slight smile.