Mexico: Women Who Nourish the Earth: Yuridia Hernández and the Feminine Strength in Sustainable Agriculture

May 28, 2025 | Sarah Martínez Gámiz
Cimmyt
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In the lands of Oaxaca’s Mixteca, where rainfall no longer comes as it once did and the soil begins to feel the weight of years and intensive use, a network of women producers has taken on the task of healing the land—while also healing themselves. One of these women is Yuridia Hernández, who has decided to farm differently: with more awareness, less haste, and the support of other women who, like her, believe that a different kind of farming is possible. 

Since 2023, Yuridia has been part of the Secure Maize Supply Program of the Secretariat of Food Promotion and Rural Development (SEFADER), supported technically by engineer Griselda Cruz Guzmán. On her three-hectare plot, she has begun applying agroecological practices: minimum tillage, biological pest management, the use of bio-inputs, and the reincorporation of crop residues. “We’ve gone back to practices we were already forgetting. Now we see our plants are more resilient. That motivates us to keep going,” she explains.