Gardens of Chaos: The Extinction of Food by Greta Rico

Gardens of Chaos: The Extinction of Food explores the impacts of climate change in native maize seeds and milpa agriculture in Mexico, and the challenges faced by small-scale farmers. This collaborative storytelling project highlights the milpas and traditional agriculture as a positive solution that can mitigate food insecurity because of climate vulnerability in the region. To make milpa, farmers cultivate native maize with other species (polyculture). This traditional agricultural method has represented a highly nutritious diet and the basis of food sovereignty to the peoples of Mexico for 5,000 years. However, two key factors are putting milpas in danger of extinction: crop loss related to climate vulnerability and corporate colonisation during the so-called Green Revolution of the 1960s–1980s, which still promotes monoculture, pesticides and GMO seeds.