As Lucio Usobiaga, co-founder of Arca Tierra, put it: “I always say chinamperos are the most endangered species in the chinampas. They are the guardians of the place. After all, we are talking about human design, human ingenuity at its best, living in harmony with the environment.”
Arca Tierra - Chinampas of Xochimilco: Growing With the Land, Not Against It
Photos and Text by Molly Owens
Growing up in the Midwest, I was used to the massive monocrop farms that have long defined America’s modern agricultural industry. These vast fields of corn and other crops shape the economy and represent a way of farming that prioritizes quantity over quality, usually at the expense of the environment and human health. It wasn’t until I moved to Mexico and learned about milpas and chinampas that I realized how farming practices could intertwine with culture, community, and sustainability.
The milpa system is the foundation of traditional agriculture in Mexico. It is one of the world’s oldest forms of polyculture and an agricultural technique in which multiple crops, such as corn, beans, and squash, are used. These are planted and grown together, providing benefits like soil conservation, improved nutrition, and increased biodiversity.
An essential means of providing food security, Milpas have been sustaining communities whilst honoring the land for thousands of years. However, modern industrial farming, which has boomed in the wake of trade agreements like NAFTA, has marginalized these practices, leading to environmental degradation and severing communities’ cultural connections with food.
While milpas have long been the foundation of sustainable farming on land, chinampas offer a unique solution for cultivating food in wet environments, demonstrating another layer of agricultural ingenuity. These floating gardens in Mexico City are an ancient agricultural innovation that offers the most valuable lessons in sustainability and ecological balance.
So, What Are Chinampas?
Chinampas are artificial agricultural islands that enable people to cultivate crops throughout the year in wetlands. The technique has been used for over a thousand years to create farmland from the shallow lakes of the Valley of Mexico, first by the Mexica (Aztecs) and other Mesoamerican cultures. The structure is built by stacking mud, lake mud, and plants on wooden woven branches and log platforms. The organic matter enriches the soil as it decomposes, so the system is naturally self-sustaining. Willow trees were planted on the boundaries of chinampas, and the roots served two purposes: to support the structure and to prevent the soil from being eroded.
Today, organizations like Arca Tierra are working to preserve and revitalize the country’s chinampas. Visiting one of their ten active sites in Xochimilco, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Mexico City, was an inspiring experience. I was able to better understand the history and science behind this practice, and it made me realize how much wisdom modern agriculture has lost in its pursuit of efficiency and profit.
Arca Tierra isn’t just bringing chinampas back to life. They’re also reimagining what it means to eat sustainably with their zero-waste restaurant, Baldío. The restaurant sources its ingredients straight from its own chinampas, ensuring that every dish reflects the richness of the land. Food waste is minimized by composting organic scraps, repurposing ingredients, and using every part of the harvest, reminding us to be mindful of our food.
The Decline and Revival of Chinampas
Xochimilco’s chinampas were once the backbone of Mexico City’s food supply. However, urbanization, pollution, and industrial agriculture practices have caused this system to slowly vanish. Currently, only 10% of chinampas are actively used for farming; of that, just 2% practice polycropping. Most of them have been abandoned or repurposed for non-agricultural activities like soccer fields, and the canals are increasingly congested with party boats, which disrupt the ecosystem significantly.
Arca Tierra is helping to restore balance in a landscape that has faced years of neglect. By reclaiming and revitalizing ten chinampas, they’ve built a flourishing agroecological system that produces more than 2.5 tons of food each month. The produce is then supplied to some of Mexico City’s top restaurants, including Rosetta and Pujol. Additionally, 250 families receive fresh produce through Arca Tierra’s subscription box program.
Why Chinampas Matter
Ecological Sustainability: Chinampas are an ideal model for regenerative agriculture. They utilize natural filtration systems, preserve soil fertility, and foster biodiversity.
Climate Resilience: These systems are naturally resistant to drought and flooding, making them a critical tool in the fight against climate change.
Cultural Heritage: Chinampas are a living link to Mexico’s Indigenous agricultural traditions, embodying a philosophy of balance and reciprocity with nature.
Food Sovereignty: By preserving traditional farming methods that prioritize soil health and sustainability, these systems ensure access to fresh, nutrient-rich food without reliance on synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
The Impact of Industrial Farming
The industrial farming model is devastating for both the planet and our health. The mass production of monocrops like corn relies heavily on chemical pesticides and depletes the soil’s nutrients. In the U.S., this approach led to the overproduction of subsidized crops, which flooded Mexican markets. Today, 80% of the corn consumed in Mexico is imported from the U.S., much of which is genetically modified, and the majority of corn produced nationally is used for livestock feed. This shift has displaced countless Mexican farmers and eroded the country’s self-sufficiency and cultural connection to corn.
Farming was once a sacred process rooted in respect for the land, but today, it has become a race for higher yields, faster production, and lower costs. This approach has severely degraded soil quality, stripping it of organic matter and nutrients that once made food more nourishing. Today, the UN warns that if soil depletion continues at its current rate, we could lose most of the world’s topsoil within the next 45 to 60 years, making food production increasingly unsustainable.
Without healthy soil, there is no healthy food. Industrial farming methods have drained essential minerals from the earth, meaning that even “healthy” foods grown this way lack the vitamins and nutrients they once had. However, traditional agricultural systems like chinampas and milpas continue to enrich the soil naturally, ensuring that the food they produce is more flavorful and far more nutrient-dense.
How Can You Support Chinampas and Similar Practices?
The revival of chinampas isn’t just about preserving a piece of history and reimagining our relationship with food and the environment. Here’s how you can support this effort:
Visit Xochimilco: Organizations like Arca Tierra offer tours and workshops that immerse visitors in the world of chinampas. Seeing these floating gardens firsthand is inspiring and makes you reconsider your food choices—where it comes from and who you support when you buy it.
Support Agroecological Projects: Whether by purchasing subscription boxes, dining at restaurants that prioritize local produce, or donating to preservation efforts, your choices can make a difference.
Reconnect with Your Food: Grow your own garden, support local farmers, or take the time to learn where your food comes from and how it’s produced.
Chinampas are a testament to what’s possible when humans work harmoniously with nature. They remind us that solutions to our modern agricultural crises often lie in the wisdom of the past. By learning from and supporting systems like chinampas, we can cultivate a future that is not only sustainable but also deeply connected to the land and its history.
