The Persistence of Milpa Agriculture in Highland Guatemala1

In southwestern Guatemala, within the western realms of the basin of Quezaltenango, peasants have maintained the traditional system of milpa agriculture in the face of repeated cultural intrusions. The Spanish conquest resulted in the adoption of a plethora of tools, crops and domesticated animals that modified, but did not alter the basic character of the milpa. The milpa system has evolved more recently to accommodate the production of cash crops, principally wheat and potatoes. Chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and improved varieties of seed have been accepted as necessary adjuncts in the production of these crops. In contradiction of the counsel of well-intentioned advisors, however, the Guatemalan peasants persist in their adherence to the traditional milpa. Many Westerners are inclined to regard this as irrational behavior. Although not capable of articulating fully all of the subtle advantages of milpa agriculture, the majority of the region's peasants perceive the milpa as an economically secure and culturally compatible agricultural system that has evolved on a trial-and-error basis over a long period of time. This is not to suggest that the subsistence-oriented milpa will not ultimately give way to the commercialization of agriculture, as has occurred to a limited degree elsewhere in Guatemala. Given the veneration of maize as embodied in rituals and native religious beliefs, however, agricultural commercialization will likely occur only to the extent that the peasant perceives the potential monetary gain to outweigh the security and cultural good embodied in the traditional customs and practices.