At the age of 57, Eventir Cal owes his continued livelihood to the unlikeliest of allies: bees. For many years, Eventir has cultivated a mix of crops to feed his family of nine. Whether maize, beans, squash or vegetables, he spent most of his life using the practice of intercropping as part of Indigenous Peoples’ traditional milpa systems. It is central to the way of life in the lush mosaic of protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries and lands cultivated and stewarded by the Maya people in southern Belize.
But after a serious accident on the farm, Eventir’s mobility became impaired and getting to the communal fields of the milpa became challenging. He needed to start farming closer to his house on a smaller plot and to adopt cultivation methods that maximise his food production and support his family and community.
