Los Campesinos

Campesinos are indigenous small plot farmers who work patches of land in a sustainable way. These traditional farming methods have been passed down through generations and typically grow native varieties of maize, beans, squash, and chili peppers primarily to feed their own extended families but also to make a living providing to markets and local shops.Traditionally during April and May the campesinos prepare their land for planting maize. This clearing process is done by first cutting back any overgrowth, then burning these cut patches and preparing the soil to sow seeds for the rainy season. However, in recent years the persistent heat and the delayed rainy season are causing significant impacts to harvests. Droughts during the spring mean that the campesinos are unable to clear their land due to the risk of fires spreading to the surrounding jungle, and then again without any irrigation and relying on rain-fed crops if they wait for rainy season (now sometimes as late as September) they risk their maize harvests being killed off by the colder winter months. These traditional farming methods and the campesinos which use them are unfortunately becoming as at risk as the indigenous crops they produce. 

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