More than a Grain: Traditional rice cultivation in Maroon communities in Suriname and French Guiana

Maroons, descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped slavery in Suriname and settled in the forested interior of Suriname and French Guiana, cultivate many traditional rice varieties. They grow African or black rice (Oryza glaberrima), domesticated some 3500 years ago in West Africa, and Asian rice (O. sativa), domesticated c. 10,000 years ago in Asia. In the early 16th century, Portuguese traders introduced Asian rice to West Africa. The transatlantic slave trade (c. 1550-1850) brought rice species to the Americas. For centuries, traditional farmers worldwide had selected many genetically diverse rice landraces for different traits such as taste, stickiness, ability to grow on poor soils, and aroma. After the Green Revolution in the 1950s, plant breeders developed modern cultivars with higher yields, leading to more production and the need for much more fertilizers and pesticides. The focus on modern cultivars led to genetic erosion, a loss of landraces worldwide, and exposed vulnerabilities such as less adaptability to climate change and biotic and abiotic stresses. The Maroons cultivate one African and many Asian rice landraces in a slash-and-burn farming system where agrochemicals are seldom used. Their landraces provide food security and independence but also hold genetic resources that can help rice breeders develop more sustainable rice cultivars. It is important to document the motivations of Maroon farmers to continue cultivating rice, and their practices to maintain this diversity. Between 2017 and 2023, 99 Maroon farmers (mostly women) were interviewed, and over 300 rice varieties were collected in four Maroon communities in Suriname and French Guiana. We wanted to know each farmer's number of varieties, how they tell them apart, and whether they recognized and incorporated new varieties from spontaneous crossings. We also asked why they planted rice and how and when they obtained or exchanged their varieties. To measure growth periods and yields of traditional rice varieties, we followed several Maroon women who planted 28 traditional varieties and two commercial cultivars and measured ripening periods and yields. To understand the contradicting information about the magic status of African rice and the role of both rice species in rituals, we asked about special stories or songs on rice, when and how the ancestors obtained rice, from where this rice came, how rice Fig.d in myths, and how it was used in offerings and (ritual) medicine. Finally, we discussed the results of our interview data with Maroon intellectuals and traditional authorities and reviewed historical and anthropological literature on the Maroons. Our result shows that Maroon farmers cultivate an astonishing number of Asian rice landraces and one type of African rice. The rice is mostly cultivated for food security and food sovereignty, but cultural and spiritual practices are also strong motivators for rice cultivation. We encountered farmers who had up to 20 varieties in their fields. The diversity is robust and climate resilient, as the rice varieties differ in their preferences for certain soils and water levels. This high level of agrodiversity ensures a stable yield, despite unexpected changes in precipitation or temperature.