For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s All About Organics page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.

Five years ago this May, Vía Orgánica opened it’s doors in Colonia Guadalupe with the goal of creating a network of consumers and producers to promote traditional farming practices, while increasing awareness and availability of organics in Mexico. Vía Orgánica has come a long way since 2009 thanks to the continued support of its customers and producers.

The leadership of Vía Orgánica’s president Rosana Alvarez, and the assistance of its U.S. sister organization, the Organic Consumers Association, have been essential in establishing Vía Orgánica as a thriving community organization. The Vía Orgánica team now includes approximately 50 employees and interns; partners with over 100 regional small farmers; and serves as a community education center with free workshops and films every week on topics from urban gardening to natural health. Vía Orgánica reaches out to the local community through a weekly radio show from 12:15-1 Tuesdays on Radio San Miguel 103.3, and a public television series on organic gardening with former Mayor Lucy Núñez on channel 4 public television. The Vía Orgánica theater troupe travels throughout Mexico, performing original plays and skits that both inform and entertain audiences on topics such as genetically engineered crops, junk foods, and the importance of healthy eating.

In addition, Vía Orgánica runs a biointensive, organic Eco-ranch, and farm school, located in the Jalpa Valley, 15 minutes outside of San Miguel. The farm school has provided workshops and education for thousands of farmers and students. Rancho Vía Orgánica also supplies produce, eggs, and meat for the store and café, and serves as a resource and meeting place for small farmers, students and consumers from across Mexico. Azucena Cabrera, Rancho Vía Orgánica’s lead educator and farmer, will be speaking this June at TEDx San Miguel on the “Power of the Small Farmer.”

In Mexico City, Vía Orgánica’s staff is helping lead the fight against Monsanto’s genetically engineered corn, as well as participating in other campaigns such as “Semillas de Vida” (Seeds of Life), and “Sin Maiz, No Hay Pais,” (Without Corn, there is No County). The Mexico City team, led by Mercedes Lopez, played a major role in the October 2013 ruling by a Federal Judge banning the planting of transgenic corn in the Mexico.

Vía Orgánica sincerely thanks our customers, farmers, employees and organizers for making this work possible. We invite you to be part of Vía Orgánica by visiting our store, restaurant and Eco-Ranch. The store and restaurant located at Margarito Ledesma #2, are open daily from 8 AM to 9 PM.  We look forward to continuing to build the organic movement in Mexico in the years to come.

You can learn more about Vía Orgánica, and get the latest news on the state of organic agriculture and natural health in Mexico by visiting Vía Orgánica’s Spanish language website www.viaorganica.org and Facebook pages, Vía Orgánica, and Milliones Contra Monsanto.