[Aztlan] Oaxacan Corn

[Diane Winters]

Elizabeth Kirchner wrote:

> Agriculture is dwindling in the rapidly modernizing and increasingly arid 
> Oaxaca valley in the southern-most hills of the Sierra Madre Occidentale. 
> Does anyone know whether corn germplasm grown there is being saved by any 
> organization or group.
>
> Any suggestions of who might know about this sturdy strain of corn 
> peculiar to the milpas of this valley?


A quick Google search on Oaxaca valley corn germplasm and turned up a bit of 
info, including this mention of UC Berkeley professor of Genetics Ignacio 
Chapela,

"Bt corn seed has managed to travel all the way from Missouri to Mexico in 
less than ten years since the seed was first distributed. Farmers in Ixtlán 
and surrounding regions have always used native seeds, and when I spoke with 
them they said that they assumed the maize distributed by CONASUPO was maize 
like any other (Ramírez & Marciel, 1-11-03). The 50-kilo sacks CONASUPO 
sells are not labeled in any way besides the word 'maize.' Thus, these 
Mexican farmers have become unknowing planters of a transgenic crop. Indeed, 
they wouldn't have found out for years if it hadn't been for the 
ground-baking work of UC Berkeley Professor of Genetics Ignacio Chapela, who 
happened to be testing Oaxacan corn germplasm for an unrelated project.

When Dr. Chapela discovered that the maize in the Sierra Juárez region was 
contaminated by Bt, he published an article in Nature Magazine. This highly 
esteemed journal later asked him to retract his findings, under pressure 
from the biotechnology corporations that fund and contribute to the 
publication, but he would not."

And this World Watch article "Risking Corn, Risking Culture" 
http://www.risc.org.uk/readingroom/gm%20and%20maize.pdfmentions  discusses 
Dr Chapela's work as well as Boone Halberg.

"Boone Hallberg,one of the world's experts on cornvarieties, says that 
because of corn'sadaptability, the Oaxaca regionalone boasts up to 85,000 
uniquestrains, or "sub-varieties" of criollocorn, that have conformed to 
spe-cific local conditions. Hallberg is a deeplytanned, and still spry, 
trans-planted Californian, whohas lived near Capulalpamfor over 50 years. He 
teachesand conducts research onnative corn varieties at theInstituto 
Technologica inOaxaca. one of the world's experts on corn varieties, says 
that because of corn's adaptability, the Oaxaca region alone boasts up to 
85,000 unique strains, or "sub-varieties" of criollo corn, that have 
conformed to specific local conditions.

Hallberg is a deeply tanned, and still spry, transplanted Californian, who 
has lived near Capulalpam for over 50 years. He teaches and conducts 
research on native corn varieties at the Instituto Technologica in Oaxaca."


This is at least a start.

Diane Winters