With various environmental projects throughout the state, the rural women of Jalisco conserve biodiversity and their environment.
With the goal to recognize the role of women in agriculture, food and nutrition, land management, conservation, and management of natural resources, the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development (Semadet,) commemorates today, October 15, as the International Day of Rural Women. With the implementation of techniques and processes that promote the conservation of biodiversity as one of its priority commitments, it is aligned with the public policy instruments that have been developed at the state and local levels through the Intermunicipal Environmental Boards (JIMA) and the Trust for the Forest Development Program of the State of Jalisco (Fiprodefo.)
Through Fiprodefo programs, nursery projects for forest species have been promoted for use in reforestation, as well as the implementation of silvopastoral livestock production, due to the nutritional contribution to forest soils provided by their use as foraging species in free range cattle raising.
The projects include groups of women from the town of La Esperanza, in the municipality of Cabo Corrientes, as well as in La Cuesta and Texcalama, in the municipality of Talpa de Allende, where agave maximiliana is also produced.
Groups of women in the municipalities of Villa Purificación and Poncitlán are also working in the development of forest nurseries, with an organized group of women from the indigenous community of Mezcala.
In the town of Los Mazos, in the municipality of Tuxpan, the group "Campesinas en Progreso" was formed, who manage a community garden in which food of organic origin with high nutritional value is produced with the use of vermicompost, taking advantage of the organic waste generated from their homes. Currently the group seeks to commercialize their products, particularly the vermicompost, to be used as an organic and sustainable fertilizer.
As part of the Protected Natural Areas Program for the Protection of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Lake Chapala, and with financing from Semadet, 60 women from rural communities worked 4 months in the revegetation of the protected areas of Cerro Viejo-Chupinaya-Los Sabinos , Sierra Cóndiro-Canales and Cerro San Miguel-Chiquihuitillo, through the Fukuoka method of natural agriculture, through which they made 70,000 clay balls filled with seeds selected from species such as guaje, guamúchil, palo dulce and tepehuaje, among others, to be distributed throughout forest lands for the regeneration of these vital trees. They also received training on environmental, health, and gender equality issues.
With the support of the Intermunicipal Board of the Environment of the South Coast, in the municipality of Casimiro Castillo, mojote or capomo coffee is produced, which is considered a drink rich in nutrients by its high content of proteins, vitamins, and fibers. The wild fruits of the capomo tree are extracted in a sustainable way, using only those commercially suitable, and leaving those that do not meet the necessary characteristics for production for continued natural regeneration of the species.
In the San Miguel Field School within the municipality of San Miguel Cuautitlán de García Barragán, 15 women participate in training sessions for the promotion of sustainable livestock practices that maintain and improve productivity, and contribute to the well-being of producer families and of the animals, without causing damage to the environment.
In the northern region of the state, through a special program of forestry development carried out together by Semadet and the National Forestry Commission (Conafor,) virtual forums, courses, and exhibitions have been presented in order to encourage production and promote the work carried out by groups of women from the Wixárika and Tepehuana communities of the region.
More great photos celebrating the Rural Women of Jalisco available at: