It was sunny this morning as we arrived at a cobblestone street of brightly painted buildings in downtown San Cristobal de las Casas to visit DESMI.
DESMI works together with hundreds of indigenous communities, supporting worker collectives and educating about human rights. Their work focuses on protecting sustainable, organic food production.
A recent project which OPSEU supported involved helping a coffee cooperative to successfully achieve certification for their organic and fair trade practices, which in turn allows them to receive a better return on production.
"Land belongs to the people who work it," said Emiliano Zapata, after whom Mexico's Zapatista movement was named.
The people of Chiapas face many difficulties as the government is systematically undermining the efforts of Zapatista organizational structures. Where the local autonomous communities are striving to achieve sustainable agriculture through cooperatives and training, the federal government is promoting genetically modified crops and discouraging growing the beans and corn which form the basis of the local diet. This is causing divisive conflicts that often pit members of small communities against each other.
"In spite of difficulties, we continue to live in hope. We are building change by following our own path" says Estella Barco, Coordinator of DESMI.
Emily Visser
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