Saving native Mayan corn
Heritage seed-stocks of land race indigenous corn in Mexico are being infected by genetically-engineered corn imported by multinational companies from the United States under the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The magnitude of this horror (it is far more than a problem) for indigenous people is hard to explain to outsiders.
According to a Tzotzil Maya elder from Chiapas: "During the last five centuries while our people have withstood suffering - enormous sufferings- our corn has allowed us to survive. Now our corn is suffering and we must give back to the corn what it has given us . . . we must help the corn withstand its suffering from the transgenic infections brought on by the greed of the transnational corporations and the bad governments. That way corn, and the people of the corn, will both be able to survive together."
Farmers and indigenous officials have urged Schools for Chiapas to let the world know that they are struggling to maintain a GMO-free zone and everyone in the world who is resisting genetically modified crops can always rely on the Zapatistas for support. The Schools for Chiapas project Mother Seeds in Resistance is a community-based and directed effort to save the natural or mother corns of the indigenous Maya peoples of Chiapas, Mexico, and to advocate for community-based sustainable agriculture, while raising awareness about the dangers of the North America Free Trade Agreement to heritage seeds and small farmers in both the U.S. and Mexico.
Schools for Chiapas is working with community leaders in Chiapas, Mexico to design a program to identify and eradicate any GMO contamination from the Zapatista communities - a first for the world. Schools for Chiapas is also raising funds for GMO test kits and for training to implement this statewide program to protect the Mayan heritage corn. In addition, a community controlled long-term seed storage facility has been built in the highlands of Chiapas. Click here to read a presentation made by indigenous promoters about Mother Seeds in Resistance.
In cooperation with the autonomous, indigenous communities, Schools for Chiapas is also sending corn around the world as part of a solidarity grow-out to protect and promote the Mayan corn and their mission to protect it. Currently Zapatista corn is growing in hundreds of countries on 5 continents. In the spirit of farmers everywhere, the Zapatistas are giving their corn seed away free to interested growers. You will however be asked to sign a pledge to never allow this seed to be patented or used commercially and we would ask that you donate at least the price of one GMO test kit ($6.50) to help pay back the communities for their generous gift!
Click here to order your GE-free Zapatista corn via email.
Mother Seeds in Resistance
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Order Your Zapatista Corn Seed Today!
Each package contains approximately 60 powerful seeds - germination rates are very high and detailed growing instructions are printed on each seed package.
You'll need about 180 square feet of land per package of seed. All corn provided by Mother Seeds in Resistance from the Lands of Chiapas is free. A suggested donation of $7 to $20 per package of seed will be accepted to cover postage and to purchase GMO field testing kits ($6.50 each) to continue Zapatista efforts to make Chiapas a GE or GMO Free Zone.
Be sure to indicate your shipping address, how many seed packages you need, what color(s) of seed you want, and what donation you have made on-line or by snail-mail. Your Zapatista corn seed will be in the mail within ten days!
Click here to order your Zapatista GE-free corn!