Totomoxtle ²⁰¹⁸

Maize comes from Mexico, but the number of native varieties has declined sharply. Only the original population is still growing them. In the village of Tonahuixtla, where many Mixtecs live, Fernando Laposse is trying to preserve the often very colourful varieties. He is supported by CIMYYT, the world’s largest seed bank for maize. After the harvest, the husks are processed by local women into a colourful biomaterial called Totomoxtle, which is suitable for, among other things, a veneer for wall cladding.