Production System Diversification and Livelihood in the Drylands of North Central Mexico

Benjamín Figueroa-Sandoval, Martín A. Coronado-Minjarez, Eduviges J. García-Herrera, Artemio Ramírez-López, Dora M. Sangerman-Jarquín and Katia A. Figueroa-Rodríguez
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Benjamín Figueroa-Sandoval: Colegio de Postgraduados-Campus San Luis, Programa de Innovación en el Manejo de Recursos Naturales, Calle de Iturbide 73, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, CP 78622, Mexico
Martín A. Coronado-Minjarez: Colegio de Postgraduados-Campus San Luis, Programa de Innovación en el Manejo de Recursos Naturales, Calle de Iturbide 73, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, CP 78622, Mexico
Eduviges J. García-Herrera: Colegio de Postgraduados-Campus San Luis, Programa de Innovación en el Manejo de Recursos Naturales, Calle de Iturbide 73, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, CP 78622, Mexico
Artemio Ramírez-López: Colegio de Postgraduados-Campus San Luis, Programa de Innovación en el Manejo de Recursos Naturales, Calle de Iturbide 73, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, CP 78622, Mexico
Dora M. Sangerman-Jarquín: INIFAP, Campo Experimental Valle de México, Carretera Los Reyes-Texcoco, km 13.5 Coatlinchán, Texcoco Estado de México, CP 56250, Mexico
Katia A. Figueroa-Rodríguez: Colegio de Postgraduados-Campus Córdoba, Programa de Innovación Agroalimentaria Sustentable, Km. 348 Carretera Córdoba-Veracruz, Congregación Manuel León, Amatlán de los Reyes, Veracruz, CP 94953, Mexico

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Drylands (arid and semi-arid regions) are important regions in the world; they have been disregarded and considered poor undeveloped regions due to their ecological limitations. Farmers in these regions tend towards diversification of production systems in order to achieve livelihood security, and this phenomenon has not been extensively studied. The objective of this study was to create a typology of the production systems present in the Mexican north central drylands, using variables related to production, socioeconomics, and social capital. 1044 interviews were conducted in the semi-arid region of north central Mexico. Analysis of the data allowed for the observation of nine types of production systems distributed in three groups: Subsistence, commercial, and off-farm income systems. The differences observed within these systems are due to generational gaps, gender differences, market orientation, and social capital. It can be concluded that the diversification of the dryland production systems allows for an understanding of why generic public policies have failed to mitigate poverty in these regions. The implications of the study refer to the reconfiguration of Mexican policies for the development of the drylands.

Keywords: subsistence agriculture; commercial agriculture; gender; market; social capital; drylands (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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