Child nutrition in Mexico under conventional and organic agriculture
The La Frailesca region is part of the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Farmers in La Frailesca began growing coffee at the end of the nineteenth century. Over the following decades, the production process was driven by technological changes, including the use of pesticides. At the end of the 1990s, Conservation International joined forces with El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (a local research centre) to work with coffee producers to switch to organic production. The team established Farmer Field Schools, modifying the FFS format to help farmers learn about market demand and product requirements. Extension agents assisted coffee producers to make the changes, notably by providing technical advice, assistance in organising and the establishment of links to the buyers of organic coffee. Farmers’ motivation to participate was largely economic rather than driven by health concerns: farmers wished to secure higher coffee prices by reaching niche organic markets in the developed world. Based on qualitative and quantitative work, we looked at how this switch to organic production has impacted on health and child nutrition. We also looked at the reasons behind farmers’ decisions to make the switch in this high-altitude region. We compared the health of 8-14 year olds in the organic coffee region with those in a more highly-intensive tomato-growing area where farmers use large amounts of agricultural chemicals.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | spa |
| Subjects: | Café orgánico, Escuelas de campo para agricultores, Nutrición infantil, Desarrollo agrícola, Artfrosur, |
| Online Access: | http://www.leisa.info/index.php?url=getblob.php&o_id=191131&a_id=211&a_seq=0 |
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