| Oaxaca
City has a number of natural product markets and stores.
ESTACION - The Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday Tianguis Ecológico La Estación began in
January 2007 at the old
train station. (Photos)
(Video)
MULTI-BIO - The Friday/Saturday Multi-Bio
Cultural Organico Market, Garcia Vigil #702, began in the
summer of 2005 as members who left the Pochote started their
own market. (Photos)
PLAZA 8 REGIONES - The Plaza 8 Regiones opened
in the summer of 2007. Located across from the ADO
bus station at 5 de Mayo #1008, the market serves in-transit
bus passengers and locals from the Jalatlaco neighborhood. The
market debuted on February 16, 2008 and is open Monday-Saturday.
(Video)
POCHOTE - The movement toward natural foods
made a huge leap with the creation of the Friday/Saturday Pochote
Market, Garcia Vigil #817, began in November 2003. It was
a nursery of sorts for other markets that followed. Many of
the Pochote members have left or have been exiled for reasons
explained in our feature.
In 2008 the market continues, without tables, without coffee,
without hot food. It's a back-to-basics movement and we'll keep
track of the progress. (Photos)
STORES
Many of the venders have created their own natural food stores,
including Xiguela,
Hidalgo #105 (photos),
Yunhiz, Gonzalez Ortega #400, Pochotita, Tamayo #814 (photos),
Casa de Angel (on the east side of Conzatti
Park), Café Orgásmico, Allende #107 (photos).
Other stores focus on crafts, such as Blackbox, 5 de Mayo #412,
(photos)
which promotes a fair trade policy. This store joins a long
list of favorite places which have long showcased Oaxaca's impressive
folk art.
Outside of town the Mixe-owned Ayuuk
store on the east side of the plaza in Santa María
del Tule celebrates its second anniversary in March 2008.
WHO SELLS
Many of the markets impose a limit on the number of venders
of a particular product. None of the markets, so far, have made
display their rules to the public, which makes this a confusing
issue.
CERTIFICATION
One of the questions that has come up is whether products are
organic.
Certification remains a tricky subject. It is very expensive
for producers and it rarely explained to buyers. The focus is
mostly on the products, not the market itself. Consequently,
while purchased goods made be organic, markets lack recycling.
At the Pochote partners certified themselves in 2006. There
was no participation from clients. In 2007 about half the members
agreed to a new program. Certification in both cases focus on
whether the products are organic. It does not review distribution
nor recycling.
The biggest problem for clients is that rarely are the processes
explained. Outside of constancias, there has been little
public documentation.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT HONEY
Cooperatives have formed in the past few years that attempt
to provide higher income for members. One example are the honey
producers, who sold their raw goods at 15 pesos a kilo. The
honey was sold at 70 pesos a kilo or combined with other products
as 'mermalada de elote.' |
