The Role of Agroecology in the Zapatista Movement

Abstract

Agroecology arises in the early 1980s as a response to the dominant Green Revolution regime in the world food production system. Being a holistic model for designing sustainable, biodiverse agro-ecosystems, it mainly focuses on resource-poor farmers who need to achieve food self-sufficiency in marginalized lands, often under ecologically harsh conditions. As it takes into account the social, economic and ecological aspects and consequences of everyday agricultural activity, it works in favour of community empowerment, ecological management of productive resources, food security and poverty alleviation (Altieri 2002). In this respect, based on a scientific understanding of natural ecosystems’ functioning and a high valorisation of local-indigenous knowledge on the cycles of nature, traditional seed-saving techniques, etc., agroecology can become a vehicle by which a community may put into reality food sovereignty, a concept first launched by Via Campesina (1996). In the context of the Zapatista Movement, itself a very symbolic movement, a point of reference, the revival of a “revolutionized revolution”, the role of agroecology seems to be more than important. The Zapatista vision is based on the everyday realization of their utopia: constructing communities without power relations but instead, constructing a network of empowered communities, gaining self-determination in order to “create a world that is creative rather than destructive, with room for all worlds” (Ceceña 2004). The process of the construction of this utopia implies a highly pro-active permanent presence from the community members. To position in a first round agroecology, it is highly interesting that it is the youth of the movement who is very much involved in the application and the implementation of the agroecological principles in their agricultural activities. Many on-going projects guided by these young Zapatista Mayan people are flourishing among the communities in the Chiapatec highlands of Mexico.

In what measure does the massive application of the agroecological model alter the youth, the given community and the Zapatista Movement itself? How does the model contribute to achieve more self-determination and food sovereignty? In what terms the agroecological approach to agriculture prevents a massive urban migration of the youth? What impact does the application of agroecological principles have on the nearby non-Zapatista communities?

The research aims to understand the potential multi-level impact of the application of the agroecological model on a Zapatista community. Thus the impact on individuals, particularly youths, and on the community and the Zapatista movement will be the focus of this research. The aim is to understand and analyze whether agroecology contributes to completing the Zapatista project or it undermines and compromises the movement in the long run. 

Adam Fülöp
Chez Céline Tissot, 14. Bvd de pont d’Arve
1205, Genève
e-mail: canica375@gmail.com

Research Partner
Peter Rosset
Vito Alessio Robles 76, Casa 7
Col. Florida
Mexico D.F. 01030
e-mail: ceccam@laneta.apc.org