The Mesoamerican Institute of Permaculture (IMAP) in Pachitulul, Guatemala

The avocado plantation surrounding the pathway entry to the community Pachitulul where IMAP is located

When you first arrive to the entrance of The Mesoamerican Institute of Permaculture (IMAP) in the small town of Pachitulul, Guatemala, you see a plantation of avocado trees. At first I thought it was a part of the permaculture institute but you soon realize that it's a big monoculture production, and I later learned that it's owned by a man who lives in Guatemala City. The entrance to the community of Pachitulul and to IMAP is a narrow pathway that cuts through the plantation. Some of the avocado fruits hang over the fence and into the public path. I jokingly said to some of the staff members that they can just grab an avocado on their way to work. They replied, "No, actually the plantation security rides around on four-wheelers patrolling the plantation and they even carry guns with them." They also use a lot of pesticides and pump out a lot of water from the lake to irrigate the trees. When the avocado plantation began in Pachitulul, the new owners wanted to move the local families elsewhere, but many families didn't want to leave.

I wondered where they are selling all of these avocados. The director of IMAP said that they are exported to Ireland.. (After this I also heard other opinions about where the avocados are sold so I never got a clear answer). This is another very random and unsustainable way our global food system works. When we have a food system in which we don't eat seasonal and local food and when we don't know where our food comes from, we aren't aware of the impacts it has on local communities where it is produced...

Vacation homes next to IMAP

In addition to the avocado operation, there are several giant vacation homes along the coastline in Pachitulul. Lakeside properties have gone up high in value for vacation homes. One big house right next to IMAP was built 2 years ago by the owners of the fast food chain, Pollo Campero. It has big windows overlooking the lake and a private soccer field in front. And it even has a helicopter pad so that they can fly in from the capital city for their vacation. Another big property on the other side of this vacation home was recently bought up by a Canadian man. A young woman who works at IMAP told me that these coastlines used to be public and open to the community.

Cristina showing me her garden parcel; The agroecological market that has been sustaining my meals; Don Chico showing me a big squash (ayote) on his parcel

The small garden plots that IMAP rents to local producers is one of their remaining spaces to grow food and continue local traditions. When I talk to the staff from the community, their children have often gone to the capital to find work or compete for work at businesses like Parma, a national lactose production company.

In the evenings I visit the family that rents their parcels from IMAP and sells their produce and artisan crafts. Don Chico is often walking barefoot through the parcels, checking on the crops and harvesting to sell them at their agroecological market stand.

As I walked with him one day he pointed to the birds bouncing between amaranth plants, picking from the abundance of seeds. He said that to prevent the birds from eating his crop, he mixes a bit of sulfur, lime (cal), and water into a manual sprayer that he uses to spray the crops. It gives a smell and taste that the birds don't like, but it is also organic so it doesn't harm the plant or birds.

I asked Don Chico about the community, how many families there are, and what most people do for a living here. He explained that there are 17 families, but in his words, "the community cannot grow because rich people are buying up the land here."

Visitors travel from around the world to study at IMAP and learn about permaculture, food sovereignty, and agroecology for more sustainable food systems. And many of the challenges to this work can be seen in the community around IMAP. Inequality is stark... foreigners and wealthy people from the capital buy land in lakeside communities because they can, and local people see their public spaces shrink.

Andrea and her daughter harvesting by the lake

In response to this unequal direction of development, IMAP advocates for a direction that preserves and promotes native, ancestral knowledge. Therefore, in addition to their permaculture classes, they advocate for laws such as Ley 6086-- la ley de los pueblos, biodiversidad y conocimientos ancestrales. This is a bill that is being reviewed to hopefully be passed into law.

Posters in IMAP about the Law 6086 for the people, biodiversity, and ancestral knowledge