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Milpa people

The people who practice Milpa are the same who have been practicing it for centuries - ethnic Mayans. They are also the same people who will grow home gardens, keep livestock, and in southern Yucatán cultivate chilis(12). Cultivating a Milpa is tough work, and is practiced by the rural poor. Poverty is a serious problem in rural Yucatán. In 1996, 63% of children in Mayan communities were chronically malnourished. In 2000, nearly twice as many counties in the Yucatán Peninsula were classified as  extremely poor compared to 1995 (10).

Two campesinos who work day jobs as laborers at the local University exhibit their shared Milpa. Photo: D. Parsons.