Long before Mexico City existed, farmers in the valley built chinampas: rectangular islands of fertile soil raised from the shallow lakebed and threaded with canals. Many of those in Xochimilco, in the south of the city, had fallen out of use. A project called Arca Tierra has been bringing them back to life.
Mexico News Daily reports that the initiative, founded by brothers Lucio and Pablo Usobiaga, has won the 2026 Champions of Change Award from Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. The prize recognises people using food to improve their communities.
Arca Tierra works with local growers to farm the islands regeneratively and to sell what they produce at a fair price. The restored plots yield around five tonnes of food per hectare each month. The harvest supplies 47 restaurants in the capital and reaches more than 300 families through weekly produce baskets. The network now extends to farms in Hidalgo and México state, and the brothers also run Baldío, a zero-waste restaurant.
“This recognition confirms we are on the right track,” Lucio Usobiaga said.
Source: Mexico News Daily