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Crop rotation is the practice of alternating crops on a particular piece of farmland in order to maximize the productivity of the soil. For example, growing one crop over multiple seasons can increase the amount of pests and diseases in the soil that affect that crop. It can also reduce the nutrients in the soil needed by that crop. Rotating crops over seasons can minimize those risks, leading to more plentiful yields.

Southern Belize produces a large amount of corn, often produced by subsistence farmers that rely on the crop to feed their family. Traditional farming practices require a farmer to abandon a plot of land after it has produced one or two corn crops and let the land remain fallow so nutrients might be naturally replaced. However, by cycling bean crops with corn crops the land is replenished by the beans natural nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In addition, the added food crop improves nutrition for the family.

At Ya’axché we support crop rotation in conjunction with permanent agriculture as a realistic way of alleviating pressure on protected areas by reducing the need to cut new farm plots each year.