Cultivating Modern Farms Using Ancient Lessons

What Past Farmers Can Teach Us About Adapting to Climate Change Amid—and Sometimes Against—Powerful Political Influences

Lessons from the Past: The Resilience of Ancient Agricultural Practices

In numerous archaeological discoveries worldwide, evidence reveals how past civilizations coped with unforeseen climate changes and the sustainability challenges of their farming practices. These findings, ranging from the once-successful reservoirs and canals of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the deserted Viking colonies of Greenland, highlight both failures and triumphs in ancient agricultural systems.

Among these discoveries, some stories stand out as examples of resilience. Zuni farmers in the Southwestern United States, for instance, survived long periods of low rainfall between 1200 and 1400 by adopting small-scale, decentralized irrigation systems. Similarly, farmers in Ghana weathered severe droughts from 1450 to 1650 by cultivating indigenous grains like drought-tolerant pearl millet.

Revival of Ancient Techniques in Modern Times

Today, as countries face unprecedented heat waves, storms, and melting glaciers, some farmers and international organizations are revisiting these ancient solutions. In Spain, drought-stricken farmers have revived medieval Moorish irrigation technology. International companies seeking carbon offsets have invested heavily in biochar, produced using pre-Columbian Amazonian techniques. Texas ranchers are employing ancient cover cropping methods to combat unpredictable weather patterns.

However, simply adopting ancient technologies without considering their historical context can lead to misunderstandings about sustainability. As an archaeologist specializing in agricultural sustainability, Chelsea Fisher, writes a book, Rooting in a Useless Land: Ancient Farmers, Celebrity Chefs, and Environmental Justice in Yucatan, on recent discoveries that have underscored how ancient sustainability was deeply intertwined with politics, a dynamic often overlooked in contemporary discussions.

Maya Milpa Farming: The Importance of Forest Access

In the tropical lowlands of Mexico and Central America, Indigenous Maya farmers have practiced milpa agriculture for thousands of years. Milpa farmers adapted to drought by managing forest ecology through controlled burns and conservation. This knowledge enabled rural farmers to navigate climate changes during the "Maya collapse" between 800 and 1000, a period of political disintegration and urban depopulation.

Later Maya political leaders supported this flexible farming approach, as seen in the artifacts and settlement patterns of post-collapse communities and documented by 16th-century Spanish monks. These practices are detailed in the book, which traces the deep history of Maya milpa agriculture.

Modern interest in milpa practices has grown, partly due to international development organizations and celebrity chefs like René Redzepi of Noma. However, these groups often criticize the traditional practice of forest burning as unsustainable, promoting a "no-burn" version instead. This modern adaptation relies on fertilizers rather than fire to maintain soil fertility, restricting the traditional methods Maya farmers have used for centuries and exacerbating conflicts over land use with hotel companies, industrial ranchers, and green energy developers.

Mexico’s Fragile Chinampas: Threats from Development

In central Mexico, chinampas—ancient systems of artificial islands and canals—have allowed farmers to cultivate food in wetlands for centuries. These agricultural practices reflect deep ecological knowledge and provide essential resources for local communities. However, the sustainability of chinampas can be quickly undermined by political decisions, as demonstrated by the Aztec Empire's re-engineering of Lake Xaltocan for salt production in the 14th century, which rendered its chinampas unusable.

Today, chinampa agriculture's future hinges on protected fields managed by local farmers in the marshy outskirts of Mexico City, now threatened by urban expansion and informal settlements.

Andean Raised Fields: A Story of Labor Exploitation

In South America, traditional Andean agriculture includes various ancient techniques, one of which—raised field farming—has a complicated history. In the 1980s, efforts to revive ancient raised fields around Lake Titicaca aimed to curb hunger by enabling back-to-back potato harvests without fallowing. However, Andean farmers were reluctant to adopt this labor-intensive method, which had been abandoned before the rise of the Inca civilization.

Archaeological discoveries suggest that the raised fields were initially a means of labor exploitation by the Tiwanaku Empire (500-1100), used to extract surplus crops. This politically charged history contrasts with the neutral narrative promoted by modern development organizations.

Respecting the Histories of Ancient Practices

Reclaiming ancestral farming techniques can contribute to sustainable food systems, particularly when led by descendant communities. However, these practices are not apolitical. Ancient agricultural techniques can either perpetuate social inequalities or promote equitable food systems, depending on their implementation.

The ongoing struggle of Maya milpa farmers to practice traditional techniques against modern land privatization policies, the efforts of Mexican chinampa farmers to restore local food production, and the resistance of Andean farmers to exploitative raised field projects all highlight the complex interplay of power and sustainability.

Ancient agricultural practices are valuable, but their revival requires a commitment to justice and equity to ensure true sustainability. Understanding the political contexts in which these practices evolved is essential for creating resilient and fair food systems in the face of modern climate challenges.