The crisis in the mezcal-making communities of Oaxaca only seems to deepen, and today, mezcaleros took to the park next to Santo Domingo Church to protest their government’s inaction, in regards to protecting their state’s supply of agave, by publicly dumping 200 liters of mass-produced mezcal.

Mezcal has got two very big problems on its hands right now. Mezcaleros say that the tequila-growing region of Jalisco continues to snatch up all of Oaxaca’s agave crop, regardless of its type or maturity, leaving none for mezcal production (remember, these plants take at least seven years to properly ripen). Secondly, poorer mezcaleros still struggle with getting their small distilleries registered so that they can legally sell their spirits, at home or abroad, rather than only being able to sell them on the sly to their neighbors. Registering these producers with the regulatory board, COMERCAM, would empower them economically, allowing them to sell their mezcal at a profit and not have to sell off their agave to tequila producers.

According to stories published today, the Oaxacan mezcaleros are urging their federal and state governments to step up protection for their region’s agriculture, and to make it easier for small-scale mezcaleros to sell their product, so that mass-produced mezcal will not be the only game in town.

(Image via SDP Noticias)