Market Provisioning and the Conservation of Crop Biodiversity: An Analysis of Peasant Livelihoods and Maize Diversity in the Guatemalan Highlands

S. Ryan Isakson

World Development, 2011, vol. 39, issue 8, 1444-1459

Abstract: Summary This paper queries the common assumption that market linkages contribute to the loss of agricultural biodiversity, thereby threatening long-term food security. Drawing upon empirical data collected from two villages in the Guatemalan highlands, it documents how various types of market engagements are related to the on-farm conservation of maize diversity. While some market activities are associated with lower measures of diversity, most forms of market provisioning--including the allocation of resources to market production--are not. The quantity of land controlled by farmers is positively correlated with maize diversity and is an important determinant of their participation in the market economy.

Keywords: agricultural; biodiversity; food; security; peasant; livelihoods; rural; development; Latin; America; Guatemala (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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