Evolution of conventional to diversified livestock production systems in the Mexican tropics

  • Mariana Herrán-Aguirre Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), Doctorado en Ciencias Agropecuarias y Sustentabilidad, Boulevard Laguitos No. 424 Col. Los Laguitos Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas C.P. 29020 https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4060-7643
  • Francisco Guevara-Hernández Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Campus V, 29050 Villaflores, Villaflores 30470, Chiapas, México https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1444-6324
  • Manuel La O-Arias Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Campus V, 29050 Villaflores, Villaflores 30470, Chiapas, México https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6491-2063
  • Hernán Mandujano-Camacho Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), Facultad de Medicina, Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus II, Carr. Emiliano Zapata Km. 8, CP. 29060. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9133-8554
  • José Nahed-Toral El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR; CONAHCYT), Departamento de Agricultura Sociedad y Ambiente, Grupo Académico de Ganadería Sustentable y Cambio Climático. Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n Barrio María Auxiliadora, CP 29290. San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3506-1201
  • José Aguilar-Jiménez Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), Facultad de Medicina, Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus II, Carr. Emiliano Zapata Km. 8, CP. 29060. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3826-9331
Keywords: diversification, cattle ranches, resilience, conventional farming

Abstract

Cattle ranches in Mexico have demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt to changing economic, environmental, and social conditions. In a context where traditional cattle ranches were being replaced by conventional technologies, diversification has become a fundamental strategy to ensure their sustainability and resilience. The term “ranch” used to encompass various agribusiness units with different forms of ownership and management. However, today, a conventional cattle ranch is characterized by its focus on the core activity of grazing. The central objective of the article was to analyze the evolution of cattle ranches in Mexico, focusing on how diversification became a fundamental strategy to address challenges over time and adapt to changing economic, environmental, and social conditions. To achieve this, a bibliographic search and comprehensive analysis of the state of the art related to the organizational structure of cattle ranches were conducted. This process provided the necessary theoretical foundations for the conceptualization of cattle ranches based on their structure, diversity of functions, products, and activities. Ultimately, it was concluded that the evolution of cattle ranches in Mexico reflected their continuous adaptation to changing economic, environmental, and social conditions, with diversification being a key strategy to ensure the sustainability and resilience of livestock farms.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Altieri, M. (1999). The Ecological Role Of Biodiversity In Agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 74(1-3), 19-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8809(99)00028-6
Astier, M., Orozco-Ramírez, Q., Walker, R., Galván-Miyoshi, Y., González-Esquivel, C., & Simmons, C. S. (2020). Post-NAFTA Changes in Peasant Land Use—The Case of the Pátzcuaro Lake Watershed Region in the Central-West México. Land, 9(3), 75. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land9030075
Avila-Foucat, V. S., Revollo-Fernández, D. A., & Navarrete, C. (2021). Determinants of livelihood diversification: the case of community-based ecotourism in Oaxaca, Mexico. Sustainability, 13(20), 11371. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011371
Carreño, N. E. F., Merchán, J. D. S., & Baquero, Z. Y. V. (2019). La agricultura familiar agroecológica, una estrategia de desarrollo rural incluyente. Una revisión. Temas Agrarios, 24(2), 96-107. https://doi.org/10.21897/rta.v24i2.1356
Casasús, I. (2014). Diagnóstico de situación y perspectivas de futuro de la ganadería en el entorno de una estación de esquí del pirineo. Informacion Tecnica Economica Agraria, 110(1). https://doi.org/10.12706/itea.2014.005
Chiswell, H. (2016). From generation to generation: changing dimensions of intergenerational farm transfer. Sociologia Ruralis, 58(1), 104-125. https://doi.org/10.1111/soru.12138
Dumont, B., Groot, J., & Tichit, M. (2018). Review: make ruminants green again – how can sustainable intensification and agroecology converge for a better future?. Animal, 12, s210-s219. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1751731118001350
Folch, A., & Planas, J. (2019). Cooperation, fair trade, and the development of organic coffee growing in Chiapas (1980–2015). Sustainability, 11(2), 357. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020357
García-Martínez, A., Rivas-Rangel, J., Rangel-Quintos, J., Espinosa, J., Heredero, C., & Heredero, C. (2016). A methodological approach to evaluate livestock innovations on small-scale farms in developing countries. Future Internet, 8(4), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi8020025
García, V. V. y Cancino, R. M. Z. (2022). Lo que el viento no se llevó. el papel de los ganaderos en la promoción de la industria eólica en el istmo de tehuantepec, oaxaca. Sociedad Y Ambiente, (25), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.31840/sya.vi25.2587
González, M. M. (2015). El sistema de rancherías: revisión de conceptos en el contexto de las misiones jesuíticas de la península de California (1697-1768). Antiguos Jesuitas en Iberoamérica, 3(1), 67-85. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/5576233.pdf
González-Padilla, E., Lassala, A., Pedernera, M., & Gutierrez, C. (2019). Cow-calf management practices in Mexico: Farm organization and infrastructure. Veterinaria México OA, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.22201/fmvz.24486760e.2019.3.677
Guareros, P. N.,y Pichardo, G. C. (2019). Tierras de común repartimiento y formación de ranchos en el sistema de riego de Cuautitlán, Estado de México, 1856-1911. Mundo agrario, 20(44), 113.e1-113.e2. https://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24215/15155994e113
Herrero, M., Thornton, P. K., Notenbaert, A. M. O., Wood, S. A., Msangi, S., Freeman, H. A., & Rosegrant, M. W. (2010). Smart investments in sustainable food production: revisiting mixed crop-livestock systems. Science, 327(5967), 822-825. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1183725
Hidalgo, E. C. (2020). Caracterización de agroecosistemas de maíz en la planicie costera del istmo, oaxaca. Revista Mexicana De Ciencias Agrícolas, 11(7), 1579-1592. https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v11i7.2344
Iermanó, M. J., & Sarandón, S. J. (2016). Rol de la agrobiodiversidad en sistemas familiares mixtos de agricultura y ganadería pastoril en la Región Pampeana, Argentina. Su importancia para la sustentabilidad de los agroecosistemas. Revista Brasileira de Agroecologia, 11(2). Recuperado de https://revistas.aba-agroecologia.org.br/rbagroecologia/article/view/16159
Keyserlingk, M. v., Martin, N. H., Kebreab, E., Knowlton, K. F., Grant, R., Stephenson, M. W., … & Smith, S. (2013). Invited review: sustainability of the us dairy industry. Journal of Dairy Science, 96(9), 5405-5425. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-6354
Khanal, A. R., & Mishra, A. K. (2014). Agritourism and off-farm work: survival strategies for small farms. Agricultural Economics, 45(S1), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12130
Kremen, C. & Miles, A. (2012). Ecosystem services in biologically diversified versus conventional farming systems: benefits, externalities, and trade-offs. Ecology and Society, 17(4). https://doi.org/10.5751/es-05035-170440
Luliano, B., Cartmill, A. D., Davis, S. C., Kerr, A. C., & Perfecto, I. (2021). Human dimensions: agroecology for just and sustainable food systems. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 102(3): e01871.https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1871
Mansilla, N., Quiroz, N. C., & Copetti, G. (2020). Acompañamiento a una comunidad moquoit en el desarrollo de proyectos productivos agroecológicos. Agrotecnia, (30), 84. https://doi.org/10.30972/agr.0304660
Margalida, A., Campión, D., & Donázar, J. A. (2014). Vultures vs livestock: conservation relationships in an emerging conflict between humans and wildlife. Oryx, 48(2), 172-176. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605312000889
Marinidou, E., Jiménez‐Ferrer, G., Pinto, L. S., Ferguson, B. G., & Saldívar-Moreno, A. (2018). Proceso de adopción de árboles en áreas ganaderas: estudio de casos en chiapas, méxico. Sociedad Y Ambiente, (18), 201-230. https://doi.org/10.31840/sya.v0i18.1885
Martin, G., Moraine, M., Ryschawy, J., Magne, M., Asai, M., Sarthou, J., … & Thérond, O. (2016). Crop–livestock integration beyond the farm level: a review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 36(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-016-0390-x
Meert, H., Huylenbroeck, G. V., Vernimmen, T., M, B., & Hyecke, E. V. (2005). Farm household survival strategies and diversification on marginal farms. Journal of Rural Studies, 21(1), 81-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2004.08.007
Muñoz-González, J. C., Huerta-Bravo, M., Bueno, A. L., Santos, R. R., y Arana, J. L. (2017). Producción y calidad nutrimental de forrajes en condiciones del trópico húmedo de México. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas,16, 3315-3327. https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v0i16.399
Nhemachena, C. (2014). Economic impacts of climate change on agriculture and implications for food security in Zimbabwe. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 9(11), 1001-1007. https://doi.org/10.5897/ajar2012.6685
OECD/FAO. (2022). OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031. OECD Publishing.https://doi.org/10.1787/08801ab7-en
Oliveira, J., Guardia, M., Queiroz, G., Cobra, R., Ometto, A., & Oliveira, O. (2015). Identificação dos benefícios e dificuldades da produção mais limpa em empresas industriais do estado de são paulo. Revista Produção Online,15(2), 458-481. https://doi.org/10.14488/1676-1901.v15i2.1751
Ostrom, E. (2009). A General Framework for Analyzing Sustainability of Social-Ecological Systems. Science, 325 (5939), 419-422. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1172133
Paleologos, M. F., Iermanó, M. J., Blandi, M. L., & Sarandón, S. J. (2017). Las relaciones ecológicas: un aspecto central en el rediseño de agroecosistemas sustentables, a partir de la Agroecología. Redes, 22(2), 92-115. https://doi.org/10.17058/redes.v22i2.9346
Pardos, L., Crespo, B. L., Bernués, A., Alabart, J. L., & Fantova, E. (2022). Evaluación integral de la sostenibilidad de la producción ovina de carne en aragón. Informacion Tecnica Economica Agraria. https://doi.org/10.12706/itea.2022.003
Patiño, M. and García, M. (2022). Cuartos verdes sustentables. Revista Copala Construyendo Paz Latinoamericana, Número 14(14), 88-97. https://doi.org/10.35600/25008870.2022.14.0212
Pretty, J. (2007). Agricultural Sustainability: Concepts, Principles and Evidence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 1491(363), 447-465. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2007.2163
Ramírez-Juárez, J. (2022). Seguridad alimentaria y la agricultura familiar en México. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas, 13(3), 553-565. https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v13i3.2854
Rendon, P., Steinhoff-Knopp, B., Saggau, P.,& Müller, F. (2020). Assessment Of the Relationships Between Agroecosystem Condition And The Ecosystem Service Soil Erosion Regulation In Northern Germany. Plos One, 12(15), e0234288. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234288
Rivera-Huerta, A., Rubio Lozano, M. d. l. S., Padilla-Rivera, A., & Güereca, L. P. (2019). Social Sustainability Assessment in Livestock Production: A Social Life Cycle Assessment Approach. Sustainability, 11, 4419. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164419
Romero, H., Fajardo-Ortiz, E. J., Ramírez, G., & Vásquez, M . (2021). Capítulo 7. Catálogo Editorial, 175-193. https://doi.org/10.15765/poli.v1i413.1839
Sarandón, S. J., Flores, C. C., Hernández, V., Goulet, F., Magda, D., & Girard, N. (2014). La Agroecología: un paradigma emergente para el logro de un Desarrollo Rural Sustentable. Ediciones INTA. Origin: Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. ISBN: 978-987-521-501-6, páginas 53-70. Recuperado de http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/104085
Saravanan, K. (2022). Impact of covid-19 lockdown on livestock and poultry sectors: veterinary students’ perception and suggestions. Indian Research Journal of Extension Education, 22(5), 8-12. https://doi.org/10.54986/irjee/2022/dec_spl/8-12
Schroth, G., y Ruf, F. (2013). Farmer strategies for tree crop diversification in the humid tropics: a review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development,34(1), 139-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0175-4
Secretaria de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER). (2023, 19 de agosto). Impulsa Agricultura una ganadería productiva, sustentable y con fuerte estatus sanitario. Gob.Mx. https://www.gob.mx/agricultura/prensa/impulsa-agricultura-una-ganaderia-productiva-sustentable-y-con-fuerte-estatus-sanitario
Severo, M. A., Cedillo, J. G. G., Plata, M. Á. B., & García, C. G. M. (2020). Social perception of the ecosystem services provided by the family orchards of the Mexican highlands. Ecosistemas, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.7818/ecos.1959
Short, C., & Dwyer, J. (2012). Reconciling pastoral agriculture and nature conservation: developing a co-management approach in the English uplands. Pastoralism, 2(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/2041-7136-2-13
Špaček, M., Melnykovych, M., Kozová, M., & Pauditšová, E. (2022). The role of knowledge in supporting the revitalization of traditional landscape governance through social innovation in Slovakia. Environmental Policy and Governance, 32(6), 560-574. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.2026
Thornton, P. y Herrero, M. (2010). Potential for reduced methane and carbon dioxide emissions from livestock and pasture management in the tropics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,107(46), 19667-19672. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0912890107
Ultreras, V., & Isais, C. (2018). Sociedades rancheras del occidente mexicano: balance historiográfico. Relaciones, 39(154), 37-69. https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v39i154.382
Valenzuela Q. F. G., Villanueva-López, G., Alcudia-Aguilar, A., Medrano-Pérez, O. R., Cámara-Cabrales, L., Martínez-Zurimendi, P., Casanova-Lugo, F., & Aryal, D. R. (2022). Silvopastoral systems improve carbon stocks at livestock ranches in Tabasco, Mexico. Soil Use and Management, 38(2), 1237-1249. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12799
Ward, A. I., Tolhurst, B. A., & Delahay, R. J. (2006). Farm husbandry and the risks of disease transmission between wild and domestic mammals: a brief review focusing on bovine tuberculosis in badgers and cattle. Animal Science, 82(6), 767-773. https://doi.org/10.1017/asc2006102
Published
2023-12-18
How to Cite
Herrán-Aguirre, M., Guevara-Hernández, F., La O-Arias, M., Mandujano-Camacho, H., Nahed-Toral, J., & Aguilar-Jiménez, J. (2023). Evolution of conventional to diversified livestock production systems in the Mexican tropics. Revista De La Facultad De Agronomía De La Universidad Del Zulia, 40(Supplement), e2340Spl06. Retrieved from https://www.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/41351
Section
Socioeconomics