Itajetik : Agroecology and food culture of edible noncrop plants of the Tseltal Maya in northern Chiapas

The Tseltals are one of several Maya groups that have preserved ancestral agricultural systems that include extensive knowledge of agrobiodiversity. This knowledge is essential for the sustainable use of agrobiodiversity and for the design of sustainable food systems. Despite widespread herbicide use in Chilón, Chiapas, Tseltal families value and promote the growth of specific noncrop plants, undervalued species perceived as weeds, for multiple uses, mainly as food and medicinal resources, and for their ecological services. In this chapter, we describe the use and perceived value of edible noncrop plants, explain farmers’ selective management to take advantage of these plants, and discuss the need to approach their management from a transdisciplinary perspective, including food culture and agroecology.