Mexico: Wild Maguey- Indigenous association of Ixmiquilpan
In the region of Ixmiquilpan of central Mexico an indigenous group called the Hnahnu have been able to successfully commercialise agave syrup and Nopal.
Benefits to the Local Community of Agave
This is a semi arid region and the main species of plant is the wild maguey (Agave salminae). In this area like many of the poorer areas of mexico a lot of the men had gone to the US to work and there were whole villages without any men. However now that the new industry of harvesting the nectar of the wild maguey and processing it into agave syrup has been established this has created sustainable income opportunities for the local men and women. They call the maguey el arbol de las maravillas (the tree of marvels) because they have been traditionally used for so many things. Traditionally they have made pulque from the nectar by just leaving it to ferment and this is considered to have powerful healing and aphrodisiac qualities. Some of the other products made from it include fibers for weaving, brushmaking and other crafts, construction materials, soap, paper etc. These plants literally litter the landscape for as far as the eye can see. Processing the nectar into agave is a relatively recent discovery and even though before that there was no real commercial value in the maguey, the people still invested time in caring for these wild plants because they had been so central to their culture for many years.
