Sustainability of native maize family farms in Mexico: Current trends from a socio-agronomic perspective

Abstract

The sustainability of family farms, or Family Production Units (FPUs), cultivating native maize varieties in Chiapas, Mexico, is intricately linked to economic, socio-productive, environmental, and cultural factors. Given their significance within the regional socio-productive framework, the objective of this study was to assess sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The methodology employed for sustainability analysis was the Framework for Evaluation of Natural Resource Management Systems (MESMIS). Thirty FPUs were purposively selected from 14 communities spanning four municipalities and were typologically classified into three groups: Traditional, Maize Growers-Livestockers, and Diversified. In-depth interviews were conducted with individual farmers, complemented by group interviews involving entire families. The collected data underwent processing through multiple correspondence statistical analysis, analysis of variance for linear models, and multiple comparisons of means. The results indicated that the Diversified FPU group exhibited higher sustainability, covering 68% of the sustainability perimeter. Consequently, this group demonstrated better conditions for preserving native maize varieties over time and developing strategies to meet their needs concurrently. The Traditional FPU group covered 58%, while the Maize Growers-Livestockers group covered 52% of the sustainability perimeter. In conclusion, it was observed that family reproduction strategies, grounded in resource utilization (capitals), shape forms of nature appropriation that are continually reconfigured. These configurations play a pivotal role in defining the sustainability of FPUs engaged in native maize cultivation in the Frailesca region.