Green Gold is a story of exploration, discovery, life, and death. It traces the phenomenal influence of three New World treasures - corn, potatoes, and chile peppers - on the lives of our ancestors, on ourselves, and on the generations to come.

It also poses the perplexing question: Can we survive if we lose the genetically diverse, wild and weedy ancestors of our valuable food crops?

Travel with internationally recognized plant explorers to the mountains and marketplaces of Guatemala in search of the wild relatives of the fiery chile pepper.

Discover what may have led to the collapse of the Mayan civilization, once so dependent on its corn crop. Hear culinary experts explain how New World crops have fed the human spirit and improved our quality of life. Look behind steel vault doors to glimpse living treasures worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox.

For more information contact mmedia@nmsu.edu.