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Political Agroecology in Mexico: A Path toward Sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Víctor M. Toledo

    (Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), Morelia, Michoacán 58190, Mexico)

  • Narciso Barrera-Bassols

    (Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro 76017, Mexico)

Abstract

The biocultural richness of Mexico is among the highest worldwide. A history of over 7000 years of agriculture, and a persistent tradition of peasant social resistance movements that climaxed during the agrarian revolution in the early 20th century, continued in the indigenous resistance in Chiapas leading to the Zapatista uprising in 1992, and continues to be expressed in present local and regional confrontations for the defense of territory. Scholars agree that agroecology conceptually includes ecological and agricultural scientific research activity, empirical practices applied for agriculture, and the nuclear goal of numerous rural social movements. What has not been sufficiently established is how these three spheres of agroecology interact with each other and what emergent synergies they generate. Taking as an example the production in Mexico of three key agricultural goods—maize, coffee, and honey—our paper briefly reviews the existing relations between knowledge generation, agroecological practices, and rural social processes. We conclude by reflecting on the role of agroecological research in the context of an agrarian sustainability committed to helping reduce social inequity, marginality, and exploitation, as much as reverting the severe deterioration of the natural environment: both common issues in contemporary Mexico.

Suggested Citation

  • Víctor M. Toledo & Narciso Barrera-Bassols, 2017. "Political Agroecology in Mexico: A Path toward Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:2:p:268-:d:90295
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Conde, Marta, 2014. "Activism mobilising science," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 67-77.
    2. David Quist & Ignacio H. Chapela, 2001. "Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico," Nature, Nature, vol. 414(6863), pages 541-543, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pingarroni, Aline & Castro, Antonio J. & Gambi, Marcos & Bongers, Frans & Kolb, Melanie & García-Frapolli, Eduardo & Balvanera, Patricia, 2022. "Uncovering spatial patterns of ecosystem services and biodiversity through local communities' preferences and perceptions," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    2. Felipe Gallardo-López & Fernando Landini & Mario Alejandro Hernández-Chontal, 2022. "The Productive Orientation of Rural Extensionists in the Regions of Mexico: A Key Element for Agroecological Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Tamar Diana Wilson, 2023. "Hegemony, Quasi-Counterhegemony, and Counterhegemony in Pesticide Use in Latin America With Special Reference to Mexico," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 55(3), pages 373-389, September.
    4. Albert Folch & Jordi Planas, 2019. "Cooperation, Fair Trade, and the Development of Organic Coffee Growing in Chiapas (1980–2015)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-22, January.
    5. Felipe Gallardo-López & Mario Alejandro Hernández-Chontal & Pedro Cisneros-Saguilán & Ariadna Linares-Gabriel, 2018. "Development of the Concept of Agroecology in Europe: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-23, April.
    6. Orozco-Meléndez, José Francisco & Paneque-Gálvez, Jaime, 2022. "A role for grassroots innovation toward agroecological transitions in the Global South? Evidence from Mexico," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    7. Galt, Ryan E. & Pinzón, Natalia & Robinson, Nicholas Ian & Baukloh Coronil, Marcela Beatriz, 2024. "Agroecology and the social sciences: A half-century systematic review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    8. Darcy Tetreault, 2022. "Two sides of the same coin: increasing material extraction rates and social environmental conflicts in Mexico," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(12), pages 14163-14183, December.
    9. Marie-Josée Massicotte & Christopher Kelly-Bisson, 2019. "What’s wrong with permaculture design courses? Brazilian lessons for agroecological movement-building in Canada," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(3), pages 581-594, September.

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