Community seed network in an era of climate change: dynamics of maize diversity in Yucatán, Mexico

Marianna Fenzi (), Paul Rogé (), Angel Cruz-Estrada (), John Tuxill () and Devra Jarvis ()
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Marianna Fenzi: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory for the History of Science and Technology
Paul Rogé: University of CA – Berkeley
Angel Cruz-Estrada: Centro de Innovación para el Desarrollo Apícola Sustentable
John Tuxill: Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Western Washington University
Devra Jarvis: Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research, Museo Orto Botanico di Roma-Universita’ La Sapienza c/o SARA ENViMOD

Agriculture and Human Values, 2022, vol. 39, issue 1, No 22, 339-356

Abstract: Abstract Local seed systems remain the fundamental source of seeds for many crops in developing countries. Climate resilience for small holder farmers continues to depend largely on locally available seeds of traditional crop varieties. High rainfall events can have as significant an impact on crop production as increased temperatures and drought. This article analyzes the dynamics of maize diversity over 3 years in a farming community of Yucatán state, Mexico, where elevated levels of precipitation forced farmers in 2012 to reduce maize diversity in their plots. We study how farmers maintained their agroecosystem resilience through seed networks, examining the drivers influencing maize diversity and seed provisioning in the year preceding and following the 2012 climatic disturbance (2011–2013). We found that, under these challenging circumstances, farmers focused their efforts on their most reliable landraces, disregarding hybrids. We show that farmers were able to recover and restore the diversity usually cultivated in the community in the year following the critical climate event. The maize dynamic assessed in this study demonstrates the importance of community level conservation of crop diversity. Understanding farmer management strategies of agrobiodiversity, especially during a challenging climatic period, is necessary to promote a more tailored response to climate change in traditional farming systems.

Keywords: On-farm conservation; Landraces; Seed provision; Climate change; Agrobiodiversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10460-021-10249-3

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