Raúl is born in la ciudad de Mexico and is very attached to Xochimilco, the last area with water channels in the capital. He created with his friend David Flores the Colectivo Ahuejote in 2016: agricultura and comunidad.
Meeting Raul made me realize again how agriculture always comes under the social field. While exploring articles about this topic, I discovered the writings of François Léger, a french agroecology researcher who dedicated his PhD to the relationship of mexican farmers to their environment. Since then, he has been fighting to demonstrate that ecological quality, construction of social cohesion in territories, well-being of individuals and economic efficiency are not contradictory. And Raul is proving it with the Colectivo Ahuejote.
You can find out more about the colectivo on their facebook page.
An amazing french project (Seedtour) met Raúl and David and made a video of their project in Xochimilco. Take a look at it on their website!!
And as if it was not enough, Raúl owns a music label from which the songs in the episode come from. (Credits: bottom of the page)
“If you start to value the process of food productions, you can value other things.[…] If you value food and people, I think you can grow as a person.“
(Photo credit: Raúl Mondragón)
“Food is our battery“
(Photo credit: Raúl Mondragón)
“If you are going to work with a community, ask what they want. […] They have a life, they have a vision.“
(Photo credit: Raúl Mondragón)
“This crazy world is letting us down with the conversations between persons. I think conversations make more powerful solutions”
(Photo credit: Raúl Mondragón)
Beginning and end credits by Lvov.
Music during the episode:
Title: Dub e Gotas na Gruta
Composer: Da Iguana
Source: https://tepememusica.bandcamp.com/
Buy: https://daiguana.bandcamp.com/album/land-s-capes-ep
Title: Fata Morgana (Ome remix)
Composer: Salguero
Source: https://tepememusica.bandcamp.com/
Buy: https://salguerx.bandcamp.com/