San Salvador Atenco, State of Mexico. More than 4,500 hectares belonging to the villages along the shores of Lake Texcoco—land originally designated for the infrastructure of the cancelled New International Airport of Mexico (NAIM)—have been reclaimed and are now being cultivated and harvested by local farmers. They currently produce corn, beans, fava beans, squash, grains, and fodder.
The farmers who revived these agricultural activities—many of whom are members of the People’s Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT)—held the fourth Atenco Corn and Milpa Fair, where they showcased their produce to commemorate National Corn Day yesterday.
The gathering was also dedicated to the struggle of the Cuban people; representatives from the island’s embassy in Mexico attended and gave a presentation on their resistance and the attacks they face from the United States government. The farmers of Atenco and the Cuban representatives united their voices in solidarity.
Ignacio del Valle Medina and César del Valle Ramírez, two FPDT leaders, reported that out of the more than 14,000 hectares comprising the communal lands (ejidos) of 13 villages along the shores of Lake Texcoco, over 4,500 hectares have successfully been made productive.
They explained that in the Atenco ejido alone—which spans over 2,000 hectares—one thousand hectares were planted this year.
“At the time, they claimed the land where the airport was planned was useless and served no productive purpose; however, we have proven that the land is indeed highly productive. It yields not only corn and beans but also tequesquite (natural mineral salt), spirulina algae, ahuautle (insect roe), and charales (small fish). Yet, they always sought ways to claim that these areas were unproductive,” stated César del Valle. More than 100 producers and artisans participated in the fair, offering corn on the cob, ahuautle (aquatic insect egg caviar), traditional snacks, earth salt, bread, cacao beverages, vegetables, corn-husk crafts, woven garments, clay figures, necklaces, and bracelets.
In addition, there were 25 workshops for children and adults, musical performances, a “Librobús” (mobile library), and a tour of the restored bodies of water within the Lake Texcoco Protected Natural Area.
Excitement peaked during the contests for grinding nixtamal on a metate (traditional stone grinding slab), as well as for husking and shelling corn. Many participants demonstrated their skills in these agricultural tasks, and prizes were awarded to the top participants.
The event sought to acknowledge and reinforce the cultural, environmental, and productive importance of maize, the milpa (traditional polyculture farming system), and traditional knowledge. It also aimed to create spaces for dialogue among communities, collectives, producers, and institutions committed to natural resource conservation, territorial protection, and the preservation of biocultural heritage.
“With the Corn and Milpa Fair, we are essentially seeking to continue revitalizing and strengthening the struggle to defend the territory,” said César del Valle.
Original article by Javier Salinas Cesáreo, La Jornada, September 29th, 2026.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.