Returning to the Land portrays Indigenous agricultural and spiritual wisdom in the battle against climate change, drought, and the looming threat of native corn seed extinction.
It highlights the courage and the profound connection of Quechua, Nahua and Wanka elders with their ancestral seeds, aiming to raise awareness about the conservation of over 54 varieties of corn in Peru and 65 in Mexico, a tradition that has endured for more than 7,500 years. In response to climate change and the devastating impact of severe droughts, exacerbating poverty and widening social disparities, they unveil unique and innovative responses to heal our precious Earth from its drought.
"We plant the seeds with the power of the song," shares Magdalena Gamboa, a wise elder from Huancavelica. Their tender gestures, songs and poems becomes a conduit for communicating with nature, echoing the rituals of their ancestors who tended to the land—the indigenous farmers maintain a timeless dialogue with the Earth.
2018 - ongoing
Florence Goupil
Freelance photographer and storyteller based in Peru. National Geographic Explorer.