Understanding government agrarian programs and smallholder perspectives on forest cover dynamics in Mexico’s Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
Agrarian programs implemented since the 1990s in Mexico (for example, PROCAMPO, a cash transfer program to increase production) often promote agricultural intensification, permanent land use, and regulations for shifting agriculture, making broad claims that these practices improved livelihoods and supported forest conservation. Meanwhile, smallholders in Mexico’s Mesoamerican Biological Corridor interpreted and implemented federal program goals based on their own experiences of how local land use supports sustainable production and forest maintenance. This paper examines if one community’s understanding of land use, forest cover dynamics aligns with that of Mexico’s recent federal agroforestry program, Sembrando Vida (sowing life). Using in-depth discourse analysis of agrarian program documents and smallholder interviews, we highlight a misalignment between federal agricultural programs and smallholder perspectives over land use and forest cover dynamics. Implications include increased forest fragmentation and loss of access to regions of traditional land use, suggesting a need for meaningful and inclusive smallholder engagement throughout agrarian program development.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | México Secretaría de Bienestar Programa Sembrando Vida, Reforestación, Explotación agrícola en pequeña escala, Uso de la tierra, Programas sociales, Política agraria, Artfrosur, |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1080/00167428.2024.2308613 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Agrarian programs implemented since the 1990s in Mexico (for example, PROCAMPO, a cash transfer program to increase production) often promote agricultural intensification, permanent land use, and regulations for shifting agriculture, making broad claims that these practices improved livelihoods and supported forest conservation. Meanwhile, smallholders in Mexico’s Mesoamerican Biological Corridor interpreted and implemented federal program goals based on their own experiences of how local land use supports sustainable production and forest maintenance. This paper examines if one community’s understanding of land use, forest cover dynamics aligns with that of Mexico’s recent federal agroforestry program, Sembrando Vida (sowing life). Using in-depth discourse analysis of agrarian program documents and smallholder interviews, we highlight a misalignment between federal agricultural programs and smallholder perspectives over land use and forest cover dynamics. Implications include increased forest fragmentation and loss of access to regions of traditional land use, suggesting a need for meaningful and inclusive smallholder engagement throughout agrarian program development. |
|---|