Xochimilco: Recovery of the eco-technology of the chinampas through the re-education of greenhouse owners, authorities of the three levels of government and flower consumers eliminating agrochemical products

Abstract

In this research, the case of Xochimilco was studied, one of the 16 political entities of Mexico City that has a land area of 122 km². Its traditional production of food and flowers was done through the use of chinampas, an ecotechnology that allowed to obtain several crops a year of food since many of the flowers are edible. It is known that the foods rich in proteins came from birds and fish that proliferated in the lakes, which were separated to prevent the brackish waters from mixing with the fresh ones with ecological engineering. Unfortunately, when the Spaniards arrived, all these eco-technologies disappeared and the objective of this article is precisely to alert our authorities at the three levels of government to put a stop to ecocide that will be 500 years old next August. Xochimilco has been divided by researchers who have extensively studied this area, which is a Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a Ramsar Site and a Protected Natural Area, considering these areas. The owners of the greenhouses in Xochimilco and the neighboring districts use the seasonal monoculture system such as marigolds for November and Christmas Eve flowers for December and, for this, they use agrochemical products. Therefore, in the investigations carried out to evaluate the effect of the agrochemicals used in the area where the flower nurseries that no longer follow the ‘Chinampa’ system are located, these areas were sampled to determine the possible presence of atrazine, a herbicide that when decomposes it breaks down into other chemical compounds that are more harmful than the original compound, as an example of this “new way” of farming. Unfortunately, two of the products derived from this herbicide were found even in the organic ‘chinampera’ zone. This paper proposed a strategy divided into three stages to be immediately proposed after the new local authorities take power, not only of the Mayor's Office of Xochimilco but also of the two neighboring ones Tláhuac and Milpa Alta. This strategy includes considering the changes that must be made in the use of water, soil, flora and fauna of the area formed by the three parts. To do this, they must propose drastic changes such as limiting the use of motor vehicles in the cultivation areas irrespective of the method followed, mono or polycultivation, by encouraging the use of ‘trajineras’ by all the inhabitants of what is still a lake area following the model of Venice. This will give more jobs to those who wish to own ‘trajineras’ instead of motor vehicles. If this is done with the consensus of all, original people and new neighbors who have acquired land there to live near the metropolis, the damage caused during 500 years can be reversed.