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Family Farmingmozambiquemarkets in aFrica are usually run by middlemen and traders, but now the new earth market in maputo is giving producers their own spacea maRKetFor sea and land26 almanaCvelia lucidiShowcasing the aromas, colors and fla- vors of Mozambique; helping local pro- ducers and promoting agrobiodiversity; safeguarding the sea and the land; and protecting their guardians... All this and more every last Saturday of the month at the Earth Market in Maputo.guardianS of the SeaAs shoppers wander past the stalls, taking in the bright colors and the smil- ing faces of farmers who have come from the countryside surrounding the capital, they can buy traditional leafy greens, vegetables, fruit, fresh fish, rice, juices, jams and street food such as samosas, rissois and bajias, the country’s typical bean fritters. Everything is local, seasonal and ar- tisanal, sold by the producers them- selves, who bring not only their wares to the market, but also their stories. Some come from far away, travelling along long dirt roads and across riv-ers to reach Maputo. For example, the fishers from Macaneta, a village in the Marracuene district around 40 kilome- ters from Maputo. Before coming to the market, they spend the night catching bluefish, garapa, shrimp and more. They are fishers, but they are also the guardians of the seas and the coasts, which to them have represented food, identity and a living for generations. They respect the times when the fish are reproducing, only catch adult fish and use artisanal methods, such as rods, which have a minimal impact on the environment. Their laws are dic- tated by nature and the sea, not by the market.the vegetable growerSof baía de maputoFlora, a vegetable grower from the small town of Catembe, is the president of the Autoapoio association, which runs the Chamissava community food© arChIVIo Slow Food