RECOLECCION Y COMERCIALIZACION DEL OREGANO (Lippia spp) EN EL SEMI-DESIERTO MEXICANO, UN CASO DE ESTUDIO: RESERVA ECOLOGICA MUNICIPAL SIERRA Y CAÑON DE JIMULCO, MEXICO

The oregano plant (Lippia spp) is a wild resource located in arid and semi-arid areas of northern Mexico. Due to its important culinary and medicinal properties it is collected for sale by the population living in those areas which represents to the majority of the collectors more than 50% of their income. The objective of this work was to characterize its collection and commercialization to make proposals that allow to improve the standard of living of the population living in these regions and whose income is scarce and irregular. The work was carried out in a representative area of the Chihuahuan Semi - desert located in the Sierra and Cañón de Jimulco Municipal Ecological Reserve, Torreón municipality, Coahuila, Mexico, applying a field survey to 23 oregano collectors representing more than 30% of the population. The results found allow us to conclude that the marketing structure favors intermediaries and industrialists with very little margin for the collectors. It is necessary that they improve in their organization, participate more in the commercialization, look for the aggregation of value and above all they must manage a certification like organic product which would allow them to improve significantly their income.