Grupo Zarframex

Zinacantepec, Meksiko

An Overview Of Our Solution

Aware of the environmental, social and economic crisis that we are experiencing, I started, since 2008, with my family an agroecological project in the Nevado de Toluca Volcano based on a bond of respect and harmony between the human being and nature. The guiding axis of this project is sustainability and therefore we have worked in the following three areas: environmental, Social and Productive. We deeply believe in the strong dependence of man and nature and we have absolute faith in this project to replicate it First in several communities of the volcano and thus improve the life of the community in general (in producing their food, a surplus for sale and become a community with food sovereignty) and in the future may be Generators of decent jobs and simultaneously restore, understand and respect the wealth of the now degraded environment of our volcano.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Nirlaba

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Grasslands

Population impacted

1000

Size of agricultural area

6000 square meters

Production quantity

2000 kilos

People employed

3 people

Describe your solution

The project seeks to act as a model of agroecological productive project for communities, we have worked in three areas: Environmental (soil restoration, flora and fauna conservation, water cycle conservation and habitat creation), Social (food and environment education with community children, nutrition, fair trade and culture), Productive (production and processing of healthy food with absolute respect to the environment, social and solidarity economy, security and food sovereignty). We deeply believe in the strong dependence of man and nature and we have absolute faith in this sustainable project to replicate it First in several communities of the Nevado de Toluca and thus improve the quality of life of the community and reduce poverty (in producing their own nutritious food, a surplus for sale, promote barter, education, and, therefore, care and preserve their land) and in the future they may be Generators of decent jobs and simultaneously restore, understand, respect and love the wealth of the now degraded environment of the Nevado de Toluca.

Describe your implementation

Environmental:reforestation of two hectares including in between the crops, and the green compost made with the pruning material of the crops,we are currently working with the conservation,study and reproduction of four endemic reptiles and plants whose situation is threatened. Social and cultural: Within the community,especially with children,we are woring environmental education (respect and conservation of soils, water, flora and fauna),food (consumption of healthy and nutritious foods, we have taught come people of the community to produce their own food in an agroecological way,and to keep their native seeds so that they do not have to buy every planting season) and with the elderly people of the community we promote the rescue of ancestral knowledge and culture (herbal, Typical food and identity). Productive: raspberry,blackberry,blueberry,aromatic and medicinal plants and bee honey are produced agroecologically,organic fertilizers and minerals are used, pests are controlled in a biological way and the pollination of the crops occurs with bees,catarinas,bumblebees And grasshoppers, providing shelter and protection for their reproduction, rainwater harvesting and infiltration irrigation techniques are used so the water cycle is not altered, finally the commercialization is carried out within the framework of fair trade and solidarity economy, which guarantees an adequate price for the Producer and consumer, also ensures that the work was done in a dignified manner, without exploitation or use of child labor.It is important to mention that the project has already generated 8 jobs with gender equity and for people in the area. Currently this project is being structured and documented in a master's thesis, so that once it is integrated into paper, its replication will be simpler,not only in the Nevado de Toluca communities but also in the whole country,in order to reduce poverty, guarantee sovereignty Food and to rescue our wealth and environmental diversity

External connections

We have been involved in the fairtrade program within the non-violence and peace program of the Universityof the State of Mexico UAEMex. Other NGO's and Nevado de Toluca communities for barter of knowledge. SEMARNAT (Mexican environment secretariat) with the forest clearing program as volunteer.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Conservation of the nature-human bond through absolute respect for the environment(animals, plants, rocks, soil, water).Creation of habitat for endemic species with reforestation and wild grass.Conservation of Apis mellifera bee through its reproduction and symbiotic relationship with crops.Conservation, study and reproduction of four reptiles whose situation is threatened according to 059 SEMARNAT: chameleon, raddle snake, lizard, water snake. Rescue and conservation of Mexican plants: arnica, wild raspberry and staph.Soil restoration through reforestation and the green compost made with crop pruning material.Conservation of the hydrological cycle through the retention of moisture in the soil thanks to reforested areas between the crops.

Describe the context in which you are operating

The project is located in the Nevado de Toluca, the ecosystems of this volcano represent one of the most important sources of environmental services for the Toluca Valley, such as: air and water quality, biodiversity protection, provision of biomass and water collection. It is the watershed of two of the most important hydrological basins in Mexico. However, there are serious problems in the volcano, such as loss of forest cover, deterioration of biodiversity due to loss of habitats, extraction of land for conventional agriculture, overgrazing and overexploitation, and contamination of surface runoff. Even with all this natural wealth, the communities of the volcano are in a situation of extreme poverty and marginalization. We are surrounded by small communities in a vulnerable situation in terms of food security because all crops are conventional monocultures and temporary, in addition, as far as nutrition, although they grow food, it is not enough to complete a nutritious diet and they replace it with junk food as it is cheap. In addition to the poor diet, the level of education in the communities is very low and the ancestral knowledge of the community has been lost, which has caused the lack of love for their land and respect for the biodiversity of their environment. Finally, the communities no longer want to work their land and they see agriculture as something to be ashamed of.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

Studies have been carried out for the conservation of Phrynosoma, which has increased the number of protected specimens. Reforestation of two hectares: refuges have been created for different types of birds including owls which were no longer visible in this area, this mass of trees has served to reduce the impacts produced by the strong winds recorded in the region and to highlight the beauty of the landscape. Humidity retention for crops, plants and animals, climate regulation, carbon sink. In the area of crops, under the earthenware pots used as irrigation ancestral technique numerous refuges of Thamnophis (water viper) have been found and therefore its population has increased significantly. The population of bees has been increased by providing them with the necessary flowering, an extremely important species for food production and that is threatened. We have confirmed that biodiversity and agriculture can coexist in a symbiotic relationship.

Language(s)

Spanish, english

Water

Harvesting rainwater and saving water in the irrigation system. Reforestation has also helped to conserve the hydrological cycle.

Food Security/Nutrition

Crops free of agrochemicals, with high nutritional value, pollinated with bees and irrigated with rainwater, some of our crops are endemic to Mexico. In terms of food security, polycultures guarantee the supply of our food to the locality and at fair prices. On the other hand, training is given to communities so that they can produce their food in an ecological way and ensure a healthy diet, regardless of what happens in their economy.

Economic/Sustainable Development

Cultivate and produce in an agro-ecological way raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, aromatic and medicinal plants and honey, transformation of our plants and fruits, and, finally, sell within the solidarity economy, locally and fair for producer and consumer, our products are elaborated in an artisan way with ancestral techniques and the consumer has full knowledge of the work behind the product that is buying.

Climate

Habitat creation for endemic species of Nevado de Toluca, conservation of the bee Apis mellifera through its reproduction and symbiotic relationship with crops of the productive dimension, reforestation (creation of forest masses that act as carbon sinks), soil recovery and avoid erosion through the reforestation and the green subscriber and rescue and conservation of endemic plants of Mexico.

Sustainability

We do not depend on any subsidy, from the production obtained from berries, bee honey and aromatic plants, products are manually manufactured as: jams, vinegars, liquors, dehydrated products and skin oils. These are commercialized locally through the fair trade market program of the Estado de Mexico University (UAEMex).
With the income obtained, funds are generated to give employment to 8 people, as well as to solvent the expenses of the conservation area and the educational part in environmental matters within and outside our region.

Return on investment

Including the purchase of the land for around 50 thousand dollars. Because of various robberies and strong winds that were presented in March 2016 (in the last years we have had severe weather alterations and destroyed more than 70 percent of the greenhouses) we have had difficulties to continue growing and finish the plans of this project. Even so, the project continues working and we maintain the conservation area, employment, as well as the training in productive agroecological projects and education in environmental matters, both in the region and out of it.

Entrant Image

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

It has not been replicated. It takes about 75 thousand dollars. Local and various trees and plants, bees boxes, the construction of a warehouse, the implements for the transformation of the products, a training room in the different areas that we handle for the people of the community as well as for the students who visit us and equipment of computer, surveillance camera and cyclonic mesh for the conservation area are the basic necessary inputs.

Overview