Agricultural Engineers’ Day
On the Day of Women and Men as Agricultural Engineers, we celebrate the commitment of those who work to protect the land, strengthen food sovereignty, and contribute to the future of our communities.
The value of agricultural engineers is not measured solely by productivity or efficiency, but by their ability to support sustainable agriculture, protect biodiversity, and help communities make informed decisions about their food systems.
When agricultural professionals work alongside local producers while respecting their autonomy, they strengthen food sovereignty. When they promote soil conservation, biodiversity, and water protection, they help secure the future of coming generations. And when they protect native maize, they preserve an essential part of Mexico’s cultural and biological heritage.
At the same time, we must look honestly at our current reality. In 2025, Mexico reached record levels of maize imports, bringing in approximately 24.6 million tons of yellow corn for the livestock sector.
This raises unavoidable questions: What has happened to national production? Who benefits and who is left behind? Are public policies protecting the interests of the people, or only those of a few?
Even more concerning is that 87.9% of imported maize comes from the United States. When a country depends on another nation to feed its population, the issue goes beyond trade, it becomes a matter of sovereignty.
This should serve as a wake-up call. Mexico, the center of origin of maize, cannot resign itself to relying on foreign imports for one of its most essential crops. Strengthening the productive capacity of the Mexican countryside is both an urgent and strategic priority.
Speaking about these issues also means speaking from experience. I am proudly a producer myself, and I know firsthand the realities faced by those who work the land: rising costs, climate uncertainty, and above all, the dignity of those who continue believing in the value of agriculture.
This is where the role of agricultural engineers becomes even more important. Knowledge, innovation, and commitment to the countryside must contribute to building a more sustainable, fair, and productive agricultural system. Producing more in Mexico without sacrificing biodiversity or degrading natural resources is not only a technical challenge, but also an ethical one.
Along the way, we must also remain critical. When the commercialization of science restricts access to knowledge or seeds, it resembles a seed that can only be used once, valuable in the short term, but unable to sustain life over time. Agricultural science should instead remain open, shared, and capable of benefiting entire communities.
Today, being an agricultural engineer means more than producing food. It means serving communities, building bridges between innovation and traditional knowledge, and connecting productivity with food justice.
May our work continue sowing autonomy, diversity, and hope for the future. Because where there are committed agricultural engineers, there are communities better equipped to feed themselves.
The commercialization of science, when it restricts access to knowledge or seeds, resembles a seed that can only be used once, valuable in the short term, but unable to sustain life over time.
