An environmental report on agricultural resilience in southern Mexico highlights the following community initiative:
In the semi-arid central valleys of Oaxaca, shifting rainfall patterns have increasingly threatened traditional subsistence farming. In response, an indigenous women's collective established the Red de Semillas Nativas (Native Seed Network) to safeguard ancestral agricultural practices and bolster local food security. Rather than relying on commercial hybrid seeds that demand costly synthetic fertilizers and consistent moisture, the collective collects, catalogs, and preserves open-pollinated varieties of native maize, beans, and squash that have adapted to local microclimates over centuries. The network operates a communal seed bank and organizes regular exchange fairs where more than two hundred farming families trade seeds and sustainable cultivation methods. Agronomists monitoring the project observed that fields cultivated with these native strains maintained stable yields during recent droughts, whereas neighboring farms using commercial varieties experienced severe crop failures. By integrating traditional ecological knowledge with grassroots seed banking, the initiative has significantly strengthened community self-sufficiency.
Which statement best summarizes the main idea of the article?
- AThe project's primary success is organizing regular community fairs where two hundred families trade bean and squash seeds.
- BCommercial seed corporations will soon be prohibited from operating across southern Mexico due to recent crop failures.
- A community-led network preserves native crop varieties to enhance agricultural resilience and food security against climate challenges.Answer
- DCommercial hybrid seeds and synthetic fertilizers are completely ineffective in modern farming systems worldwide.