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Ark of TAsTe96 almanaCkernels, long, narrow and wrinkled when mature. These are just a few of the many existing varieties of corn: in Africa 51 have been classified in total.a geneticand cultural heritageThe plots of land on which these corn varieties are grown are small, with most production for home consumption. To cultivate the land, most farmers use traditional tools, like the arado de palo, a wooden plow dragged by mules or horses, and other simple, sustainable cultivation techniques, keeping the useThe peoples of the cornZea mays is the crop on which modern technology has madethe most progress, increasing its productivity to absurd levels and using it to produce everything from animal feed to sodas to diapers. But dozens of traditional varieties still exist alongside the modern corn, those that fed the “people of the corn,” the descendants of the ancient Mayans.of modern chemical treatments to a minimum.Traditional corn varieties are sown by hand. The rest of the cultivation and harvesting process is also manual. Be- fore being stored, the corn kernels are dried on the cob in the open air, and then shelled. In the case of capia, the skin of the kernels is removed. Corn has many culinary uses, from the tradi- tional locro to mote to beverages such as chicha, all preparations that have been made for centuries. Unfortunately the biggest obstacles to the survival of heirloom corn are linked to the production itself, particu- larly young people’s loss of traditional knowledge. Other factors include the changing food habits of consumers, which lead young generations, influ- enced by foreign cultures, to under- value the wealth and food biodiversity represented by native corn varieties. The Agriculture Faculty of the Univer- sity of Buenos Aires, together with Slow Food, has carried out important work to promote native corn varieties and other traditional products. Nonetheless, every day we must face the challenge of pre- serving the production and consump- tion of these ancient varieties.Our corn is the embodiment of biodi- versity that deserves to be protected, not just for the genetic wealth it con- tains, but also because it keeps alive local traditions and the cultural heritage of the people who cultivate it.© arChIVIo Slow Food