The Maya Milpa System Part 2

In the second part of our 2-part series, we look at the periphery of the milpa, and how milpa systems have long-ranging implications for the regional biome. We discuss how the milpa exists today within Chiapas and how it has evolved!   Sources: Climate-Smart Adaptations and Government Extension Partnerships for Sustainable Milpa Farming Systems in Mayan Communities of Southern Belize Kristin Drexler Falkowski, T. B., Chankin, A., Diemont, S. A. W., & Pedian, R. W. (2019). More than just corn and calories: a comprehensive assessment of the yield and nutritional content of a traditional Lacandon Maya milpa. Food Security. doi:10.1007/s12571-019-00901-6 Diemont, S. A. W., Martin, J. F., & Levy-Tacher, S. I. (2005). Emergy Evaluation of Lacandon Maya Indigenous Swidden Agroforestry in Chiapas, Mexico. Agroforestry Systems, 66(1), 23–42. doi:10.1007/s10457-005-6073-2 Drucker, P., & Fox, J. W. (1982). Swidden Didn’ Make All That Midden: The Search for Ancient Mayan Agronomies. Journal of Anthropological Research, 38(2), 179–193. doi:10.1086/jar.38.2.3629596 Maya Forest Garden: Eight Millennia of Sustainable Cultivation of the Tropical Woodlands Anabel Ford, Ronald Nigh Falkowski, T. B., Chankin, A., & Diemont, S. A. W. (2019). Successional changes in vegetation and litter structure in traditional Lacandon Maya agroforests. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 1–21. doi:10.1080/21683565.2019.1649784 The Maya milpa: fire and the legacy of living soil Ronald Nigh1* and Stewart AW Diemont2   Support this podcast by becoming a Patron at: https://www.patreon.com/PoorProlesAlmanac