BIODIVERSITY OF THE PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE IN MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Mexico is the center of origin and domestication of a variety of crops that are now consumed worldwide. Some of them were adapted and settled in the center of the country through agricultural practices developed by historical cultures found in this region. In the place where now is the Mexico City, is until preserved an agro-ecosystem characterized by its multi cropping practices, combining a variety of species such as maize, beans, amaranth, oats, squash, peppers, beans, nopal and goosefoot. Its technological practices are traditional and this trend toward sustainability. Maize (Zea mays L.) and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) play a central role because around these most of the productive activities are performed. Also, maize and amaranth are part of the biological and cultural heritage of Mexico City. The conservation and utilization of its diversity, supported by technical-scientific knowledge and the participatory approach, will enhance the genetic potential of native crops. This will help the local agricultural development and the sustainability of the Metropolitan Zone of Mexico City. Added to this, the biodiversity of the urban agriculture of Mexico City might provide alternatives to an eventual global food crisis.