FORUMS & LETTERS

Editor,

Thank you for printing the article about Jesús León Santos. Although we live in Mexico, here it is a year after León Santos won the prestigious Goldman award for environmental

work. And in that year, very few people in San Miguel, foreigners or nationals, have heard of this extraordinary man. Today’s world benefits by the recognition of the ordinary person whose daily efforts till the ground for a sustainable future. I would hope that this year will bring more awareness, here in Mexico, of one of Mexico’s real heroes.


I also was struck by the juxtaposition of this article a few pages away from a press release about government distribution, to local farmers, of “technologically modified” grains. Upon further investigation, it seems that these seeds are hybrid seeds and not genetically modified seeds.

I am grateful to Atención for keeping us informed about press releases of local farming activities as our community needs to be alert to the dangers of genetically modified crops and foods. And I am especially grateful for the article about Jesús León Santos and his work in Oaxaca. If all of Mexico knew of this man and his work, it would beg us to follow his example.

Georgeann Johnson