The chinamperos get their title from ‘chinampas,’ the human-made islands of floating gardens on which they farm. It was the Aztecs who found that, by layering mud, crops and branches on shallow lake beds, they might create extremely fertile plots of land.
For a whole lot of years, the chinampas sustained farming communities, however the local weather disaster, an absence of enthusiasm for farming amongst youthful individuals and the large, rising water wants of the metropolis, might mix to make sure that this ancestral lifestyle is beneath menace.
A group from from UN University met with the farmers of Xochimilco forward of the discharge of the 2025 Interconnected Disaster Risks report which tracks how disasters are linked to one another in addition to human behaviours.
They mentioned the historical past of the Xochimilco neighborhood, and the way their lifestyle could be saved for future generations.
Lauro Rivera
72, beekeeper
Lauro Rivera
“I used to be born and raised in Xochimilco, a spot that exists due to the arduous work of our ancestors. They constructed the chinampas by layering branches, leaves and wealthy mud from the lagoon’s backside.
o anchor them in place, they planted ahuejote bushes [native Bonpland willows], at every nook.
Over time, these efforts created the huge community of canals and chinampas that’s nonetheless right here at this time. There are practically 180 kilometres of canals surrounded by chinampas.”
Samuel Luna
67, vegetable farmer
Samuel Luna
“This information is ancestral, and chinampas are distinctive on the planet. We now have been passing this all the way down to our kids.
There have been even freshwater clams right here. Fish, turtles, snails, axolotls. However there are large issues proper now with air pollution and water shortage.
We’re beginning to return to what was finished earlier than: utilizing crops pleasant to the surroundings, utilizing much less pesticides.
Perhaps we are able to’t convey again every part, however not less than what we are able to protect is what we’ve got now. We, the farmers, are the guardians of those lands.”
Eric Enríquez
45, farmer and grandson of Samuel
Eric Enríquez
“My grandfather was the one who taught me farming. There is no such thing as a faculty for chinampa farming. My mom used to convey me right here as a child. We nonetheless use the spit, the rake, the winnowing fork, and that is handed down from era to era.
First, there have been very clear seasons of rain, warmth, chilly. However with local weather change you now not know when it can rain or be chilly. Know-how has superior, and we now have supplies that assist to cushion the warmth or chilly or hail. However there’s additionally a drawback: not all of us have the cash to spend money on all all these instruments.
If everybody works at an workplace, who will do all this work that we do to feed the chinampas? That is all very stunning and I’ve big emotions for it. I don’t want it to be misplaced.”
Mariana Cruz
29, historian
Mariana Cruz
“After we discuss farmers, the very first thing that involves thoughts is the picture of a person. I, nevertheless, think about extra my great-grandmother. These women with their bibs, with their petticoats, who did the home tasks but in addition farmed the chinampas. I used to be born in 1995 and even then, the canal waters had already turned brown.
Many households have stopped farming. Initially, due to the stereotype that the farmer is poor.
I’m very proud to have the ability to say that I come from a household of chinamperos. We train our mates and colleagues why we must always handle the canals, why we must always handle the water, why Xochimilco is vital for the lifetime of Mexico Metropolis. The work of the farmer is as vital because the work of a physician.”
