Your land used to be part of an ejido, but now you own it yourself, and part of it is now enrolled in the Sembrando Vida program, right?

I love this land. It was my father’s before me. He was one of the original ejidatarios, groups of people collectively made owners of large tracts of land, an ancient form of property management from Mayan times. In 1992, after ejidos were allowed to sell parts of their land to individuals (a provision of the NAFTA trade agreement, ed.), I decided to start the process of buying my land. That was thirty years ago! It’s taken me that long to get the title. I have 100 hectares (247 acres), which I farm on my own. I’m still also an ejidatario, and we govern the entire ejido.

I liked the goals of Sembrando Vida. I’m of Mayan descent. I’m in favor of reforestation and preservation of our native plants and animals, and it helps to get a small stipend every month because farmers can’t count on a steady income.

What are the requirements of the program?

Sembrando Vida identified two and a half hectares (about 6 acres) for use. They required three kinds of planting: the first is milpa, the traditional way of raising corn, which is to plant it together with beans and squash; this method doesn’t deplete the soil. The second is to grow fruit trees.

However, my soil is not good for milpa, it has too much limestone. It also wasn’t good for fruit trees — it’s too rocky and doesn’t have enough water. I do grow trees for wood, these are long-term. It will take 20 years for the cedar trees and 50 for the mahogany to be ready for harvest.

Twenty-four farmers are involved in Sembrando Vida projects nearby, and we have land in common. On the common land, we have our biofabrica (where we make compost) and share a plant nursery. When Sembrando Vida staff come to visit, they help us solve problems and teach us how to improve our methods, particularly for organic farming. To be organic is a requirement; to protect the soil and plants, we don’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. While we use organic methods, we aren’t required to be certified. International certification is just too difficult.

How many people work with you?

The Tren Maya passes close to here, and there will be a stop near Felipe Castillo Puerto. What has the effect of the train been?

Well, for one thing, I can’t find any agricultural workers to hire. Everyone is working for the train! It has all kinds of jobs that pay well. Besides work directly related to the train, people in the village are renting out rooms even in their small houses for the workers who are here temporarily to build the train and the station, and, of course, all those workers need to eat. Small restaurants or street vendors have business. The train has raised the standard of living in poor villages like ours; Felipe Carillo Puerto was really struggling before.

What will happen once the building boom is over? It won’t go back to the way it was before. With the train bringing people in, I think we’ll see more jobs, but not at the same level as right now — we’ll see.

What do you see as the biggest threats to preserving the natural environment here?  Is the train causing permanent damage?

A few miles from Victor's farm: "Zone for relocation of plants,"  managed by the military

Through the program I’m in and other reforestation and conservation projects in this area, the government is doing a lot to protect and restore our natural environment. The biggest threat is agribusiness.

What do you think of Morena, the President’s party?

Our local mayor, who ran on the Morena ticket, is corrupt. He’s a chapulin, or grasshopper, someone who jumps from one party to another just to get elected. But I like what AMLO has done; we need the kind of programs that AMLO started — such as Sembrando Vida — that are helping us in these rural areas. I’m voting for Claudia!