CoAct Database

The Declaration of Tlaxcala

We affirm that Corn has its own ancestral knowledge that has enabled it to adapt to many climates and eco-systems. This knowledge is key to our ability to adapt to and survive climate change as long as we remember how to listen and talk to the corn as our ancestors did. Corn speaks to us about the spirit, generosity and richness of the land. The Corn reminds us that the winds, the colors and energies of the four directions, the abundant gifts of our Mother Earth, the air and fire, the balance and integration of the male and female energies, the rains, the heat and cold of the natural climate cycles, the sun and its life-giving warmth and light, the moon and its affinity with the female nations, the oceans and fresh waters, the stars that guide us, all the large and small life forms that live on and in the earth, and our ceremonies, cultures and spiritual practices are all essential parts of our traditional food systems. Just as these elements sustain us, we have a sacred responsibility to protect, respect and defend them. This is our understanding of agro-ecology.