FOOD SECURITY, AGRODIVERSITY AND INDIGENOUS HOMEGARDENS IN MEXICO

Can indigenous homegardens contribute to food security? Mexico is a mega-diverse and multicultural country. Much of the biological and cultural diversity is found in indigenous regions, whose population struggle due to malnutrition, food insecurity and poverty. The role of homegardens as a key factor to achieve food security is analysed. Data from Ocotal Texizapan, a Nahuatl indigenous community from Veracruz, Mexico is presented. Homegardens of Ocotal Texizapan contain a total of 177 species, belonging to 70 families and 142 genera. The greatest number of species are herbaceous (44%) and the main use is for food (46%). The number of plants ranges from 132 up to 804/per plot. We calculate that homegardens here contribute 25% of the food security of 20 surveyed households, while staple maize produced in milpas contributes 60%. We discuss how indigenous strategies can address the issue of food production, conservation of agro-biodiversity and food security.