Artisanal Mazahua Tortillas and Native Maize Biodiversity. Reflexion from the Ecofeminism of Subsistence

Abstract

This paper examines the ecofeminism of subsistence in order to determine the participation of women in the conservation of native maize through the production and sale of artisanal tortillas. It is a feminist, ethnographic study, designed to lend visibility to the gender relationships that result in negotiations between the men and women that sustain the food continuity between maize and   artisanal tortillas. Three types of interviews were conducted (in depth, semi-structured and structured) with men and women ≥ 18 years, who participate in activities related to the food continuity between maize and artisanal tortillas in the La Placita market of Ixtlahuaca, in Mexico State. The results are grouped into three types of actors: women who make and sell artisanal tortillas, landrace corn producers and tortilla consumers. Negotiations between groups are discussed, together with the influence of external factors such as the sowing of improved corn and access to landrace corn. The article concludes that the permanence of landrace corn is linked to the relationships and negotiations established by the women who make and sell tortillas between producers and consumers, linked to subsistence strategies.