Women’s Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture: Preserving Traditional Knowledge Through Home Gardens in Santa Maria Jacatepec, Oaxaca

Marco Aurelio Acevedo-Ortiz (), Gema Lugo-Espinosa, Yolanda Donají Ortiz-Hernández (), Rafael Pérez-Pacheco, Fernando Elí Ortiz-Hernández and Carlos Alejandro Granados-Echegoyen
Additional contact information
Marco Aurelio Acevedo-Ortiz: Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT)-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Oaxaca, Mexico
Gema Lugo-Espinosa: Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT)-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Oaxaca, Mexico
Yolanda Donají Ortiz-Hernández: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Oaxaca, Mexico
Rafael Pérez-Pacheco: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Oaxaca, Mexico
Fernando Elí Ortiz-Hernández: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, ESIME Culhuacán, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04440, Mexico
Carlos Alejandro Granados-Echegoyen: Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT)-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Oaxaca, Mexico

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: Rural communities in Oaxaca face challenges such as food insecurity, economic instability, and the loss of traditional agricultural knowledge. Home gardens, once essential for food production and income generation, have declined due to migration, environmental degradation, and modern agricultural pressures. This study evaluated how community-driven models, supported by crowdfunding, can revitalize home gardens to improve food security, build community resilience, and promote economic empowerment. A mixed-methods approach, including household surveys, interviews, and focus groups, was used to assess the impact of these gardens. The results showed that over 70% of households experienced improved food security and reduced reliance on external food sources. Home garden production also led to a 20% reduction in food expenses, and the sale of surplus crops provided additional income, enhancing household economic stability. Women’s involvement in agricultural decision-making increased, fostering empowerment within both family and community contexts. Traditional practices, such as seed saving and organic pest control, were maintained, contributing to the ecological sustainability of the gardens. Crowdfunding was an effective tool for financing home gardens, boosting community engagement and strengthening social bonds. The findings highlight the potential of integrating traditional knowledge with modern funding strategies to create resilient, sustainable agricultural systems in rural Oaxaca.

Keywords: home gardens; food security; community resilience; crowdfunding; rural development; SDGs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/21/9513/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/21/9513/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:21:p:9513-:d:1511910

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().