I Am Hampaslupa Ecological Agriculture Movement, Inc.

hampaslupa, a translation of spanish word pega la tierra, is a derogatory term. hampaslupa, an idiomatic expression, means someone without any goals in life, a bum, good for nothing person. hampaslupa also connotes someone in extreme poverty and destitution, so lowly prompting the person to hit the ground. but the literal translation of hampaslupa is “hit the soil/hit the land” which in turn means “till the soil” as farmers do. what is derogatory about farming and farmers? food is life, but most of us have a distant relationship with the farms and farmers who produced them. in fact, our daily act of eating makes us active participants in agriculture. we have the power to define how our food is consumed, the way farmers grow food and how we care for our environment. first, we start by redefining hampaslupa. by eating, we participate in farming and re-affirm the value and role of farmers. each of us therefore contribute to ‘tilling the soil’ with the choices of food we make. collectively