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Project location:
Yucatán, Mexico
Project duration:
2023 – 2026
Project budget:
149.058 €
Focus areas:
Value chains, further education
HST

Hombre Sobre la Tierra A.C.

A HST participant in Mexico roasting pumpkin seeds in a pan.

Pumpkin Seeds and Chawa Chili: Local Value Creation for Maya Communities in Yucatán.

Hombre Sobre la Tierra A.C. (HST) has been working with Mayan communities in Yucatán for over 30 years. The team of Mayan-speaking professionals focuses on food sovereignty, resource-efficient agriculture, and cultural identity. The goal is to enable marginalized families to have a self-determined future.

In many parts of Yucatán, Maya communities lack access to stable markets. Products such as chilies or pumpkin seeds often have to be sold at low prices because infrastructure, processing technology or trading partners are lacking.
The situation improved noticeably with the accession to the Slow Food International Network in 2016: local processing options increased the income of some families by up to 200 %. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit these successes hard – sales opportunities collapsed, and many families had to sell far below value again. By working with the Foundation, the necessary structures are being created to resume the production and distribution of pumpkin seeds and chili peppers.

HST supports Mayan families in eastern Yucatán and advocates for fair compensation and sustainable livelihoods. The aim of this project is to expand participation in marketing at fair prices. 13 Mayan families are already active in the Slow Food Network, and 15 more are to be added. A total of 53 families will focus on the production of Chawa chili and native pumpkin seeds. To support these efforts, a new storage and processing center will be built, enabling families to produce these commercial products independently.
The Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation's funds will be used to purchase a pumpkin seed huller and a roaster for Chawa chilies, which will significantly reduce the labor and time required for manual tasks. In addition, the funds will cover personnel costs and provide training on the proper use of the equipment.

Angela Petruso
Mail

Website: https://elhombresobrelatierra.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hst.ngo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elhombresobrelatierra
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@elhombresobrelatierra578

Impressions from the project

  • A participant from HST in Mexico harvesting pumpkins.
  • Three participants from HST in Mexico present the drying pumpkin seeds.
  • Pumpkins on a meadow.
  • Pumpkin seeds being removed from a pumpkin by a HST participant in Mexico.
  • Participants from HST in Mexico peeling pumpkin seeds together.
  • Doña Elo and Julieta are project participants from HST in the community of Mahas.
  • A HST participant in Mexico roasting pumpkin seeds in a pan.
  • A HST participant in Mexico collecting pumpkin seeds in a bag.
  • The participants of the project in Mahas demonstrate the different steps from harvesting and processing the pumpkin seeds to the finished roasted product.