Territorial resilience the third dimension of agroecological scaling: Approximations from three peasant experiences in the South of Mexico

ABSTRACT

In this paper we explore the depth dimension of agroecological scaling. Through interviews, focus groups and participant observation, we explore the link between agroecology and the recovery and maintenance of ecosystem functions through three case studies in peasant communities in southern Mexico. These communities have contrasting ecological, social and historical contexts, but all engage in autonomous initiatives for agroecology and nature protection. We found that agroecology deepens when rooted in a cultural matrix of peasant identity, spiritual values, and local institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Territorial resilience
• depth agroecology scaling
• cultural values
• recovery and maintenance of ecosystem functions

Acknowledgments

In first place we thank the peasants, their family and organization involved in this work. We also thank Valeria García López, Helda Morales, the research group on “Masificación de la Agroecología para los sistemas alimentarios sustentables” El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), anonymous reviewers for helpful comments, and Haley Davis by her revision in the translation of this paper. This work was supported by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACyT) provided a scholarship to the first author. We also receive support from the project Assessment of Diversification Strategies in Smallholder Coffee Systems of Mesoamerica leaded by the University of Vermont and “Adaptabilidad en los Mosaicos Rurales al Cambio Climático” leaded by Johannes Van del Wal, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur.

Notes

1. After the agrarian reform begun in 1934, the ejidos emerged as an assignation of state lands to a group of peasants who demanded them (Morett Sánchez and Cosío Ruiz 2017).

2. The Mesoamerican milpa system is a basic association of corn, beans and pumpkins with strong nutritional and ecological value.

3. As a result of the same agrarian reform (see footnote 1), agrarian communities are another type of social property resulting from the allocation of land to villages with colonial occupation antecedents, i.e. indigenous peoples (Morett Sánchez and Cosío Ruiz 2017).

4. An indigenous philosophy that includes equilibrium between nature and other human beings (Altmann 2013) .

5. Liberation Theology is a current of the Catholic Church that was born in the 1970s (Gutiérrez 1975) with strong Marxist influences. Its objective is to generate a liberating praxis (Carballo López and Salcedo Vereda 2008), to combat poverty and contribute to “the integral liberation of all men” (Concha 1997).

Additional information

Funding

This researchwas partially funded by the project “Assessment of DiversificationStrategies in Smallholder Coffee Systems of Mesoamerica” (NoAF 1507-086: No FDNC Engt 00063479) is supported under thePage 2 of 4"Thought for Food" Initiative of the Agropolis Foundation (through the "Investissements d'avenir" programme with reference numberANR10-LABX-0001-01), Fondazione Cariplo and Daniel & NinaCarasso. This research was also partially funded by the project“Adaptabilidad en los Mosaicos Rurales al Cambio Climático”CONACyT PDCPN 2015-690.