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1
Organic Agriculture in Mexico and its Contributions to
Sustainable Development
Gómez Tovar Laura1, Schwentesius Rindermann Rita2
y Gómez Cruz Manuel Ángel2,
Abstract
This paper deals with the importance and the virtues of organic agriculture for
Mexico, where conventional agriculture has had an increasingly negative impact,
and that in a context of climate change, the development of other types of options
is required. An analysis is carried out on the results of the project “Follow-up and
information system of organic agriculture in Mexico,” which has been carried out
since 1995 by the CIIDRI of the Chapingo Autonomous University (UACh). At the
same time, results of several international papers on the productivity and growth of
organic agriculture and the progress of Mexican organic agriculture are being
explored. Conclusions include the organic sector in Mexico covering 512,000 ha
with 169,000 producers, providing 245 thousand permanent jobs and incomes of
600 million dollars; it is also related to the geography of poverty, and the biological
and ethnic diversity of the country, since it is located mainly in the south southeast,
where 99.9% of all producers, who own less than 3 ha, belongs to some
indigenous ethnicity (88%), out of which 35% are women in charge of the organic
fields. All this helps organic agriculture to contribute in the 3 main scopes
(environmental, economic, and) crucial to sustainability.
Key words: ecological agriculture, natives, organic market, statistics.
1 Research professor, Department of Agroecology-CIIDRI, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo,
gomezlaura@yahoo.com.
2 Professors, Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias para el Desarrollo Rural Integral (CIIDRI),
Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Ph. 595 952 1506, ciidri2008@yahoo.com.mx.
2
1. Introduction
Organic agriculture, also referred to as ecological, biological agriculture, and others,
is a production system that “maintains and improves the health of soils,
ecosystems, and people. It is based, essentially, on environmental processes,
biodiversity, and cycles adaptes to local conditions, without adverse effects.
Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science to favor the
environment, promote fair relations, and an adequate quality of life for all involved”
(IFOAM, 2014).
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report titled “Towards a
green economy,” published in 2011, considers it possible to erradicate poverty with
a better management and conservation of natural wealth. It states that there are
525 million small-scale farmers worldwide, of which 404 million own less than 2 ha
of land. The report indicates that if these farmers switch to sustainable practices,
this could be the most viable way to provide food for them, recude poverty,
increase carbon fixation, and give them access to green markets (UNEP, 2011).
Organic agriculture is a viable option for Mexico, given the virtues it offers the
country, since it is related to the geography of poverty, mainly to small-scale
farmers who own less than 3 ha, 22 indigenous groups, and 35% of women in
charge of production. It is also linked to a form of production that protects and
preserves natural resources.
This investigation deals with the virtues of organic production in a global context.
Next, virtues are described for this type of agriculture on a national scale, and
finally, we describe its economic and social importance in the current context.
2. Materials and Methods
3
The results produced by the authors of this paper in the project ““Follow-up and
information system of organic agriculture in Mexico” were picked up, which, since
1995, in the academic body of research, production, inspection, certification,
commercialization, and consumption of organic products of the Inter-disciplinary
Center for a Comprehensive Rural Development (CIIDRI) of Chapingo
Autonomous University (UACH), in order to have a series if statistical data on the
national organic production, given that there is no official national information.
Using these data and a metaevaluation of the national and international
bibliography, a socioeconomic analysis is being performed to identify the
importance of organic agriculture in the Mexican context and in the current
scenario.
3. Results
3.1. Virtues of Organic Production in the World
Worldwide, agriculture is responsible for 13% of greenhouse gases, it consumes
70% of all available freshwater, and it is considered responsible for 3-5 million
deaths by poisoning due to pesticides, with a total of 40 thousand deaths every
year (UNEP, 2011).
The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology
for Development (IAASTD), carried out by 400 international experts with the
consensus of 58 countries (Mexico did not participate) concluded in 2008 that the
emphasis on the increase of yields and a greater use of fossil fuels in agriculture
has brought negative consequences to the environment. Every year, 2 billion
hectares and 1.6 billion people are affected by soil degradation worldwide;
agriculture is responsible for 60% of all methane emissions and 50% nitrous oxide
emissions (greenhouse gasses) and eutrophication is a consequence of the
widespread use of nitrogenated fertilizers in over 140 ocean areas, which hinders
the development of aquatic life, therefore affecting fishing activities substantially. In
addition, agriculture is the leading cause of loss of biodiversity on the planet.
Considering these facts, this group of experts recommended taking advantage of
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the multifunctional aspect of agriculture to produce food with environmental, social,
and economic sustainability, which is why current and future challenges require
conciliatory and innovative applications of agricultural knowledge (formal,
traditional, and communal), as well as new perspectives for the management of
natural resources (McIntyre, et al., 2009).
In contrast to the above, there is increasing evidence that alternative agriculture,
with the use of eco-friendly practices, not only produces food without affecting
basic resources (which will allow for more food production in the future), but has
also presented a greater production in different spaces. Pretty et al. (2006)
analyzed 286 projects with eco-friendly practices, and found that in a total of 12.6
million farms in 57 developing countries, yields increased by 79%.
Badgley et al. (2007) compared 293 investigations published worldwide in yields in
organic agriculture against conventional agriculture, and found that, according to
data by FAO on food production, it is possible to produce enough food for the
inhabitants of the world (Table 1). Yields in these case studies show that organic
crops are 32% greater worldwide, and up to 80% greater in developing countries
(Table 1).
A study by the United Nations Environment Programme analyzed 114 projects in
24 countries in East Africa, and reports yields that surpassed conventional yields
by 128% (UNEP-UNCTAD, 2008).
Table 1. Comparison of Yield Indices for Organic and Conventional Products
in Developing and Developed Countries. 2007
Area
World
Developed countries
Developing countries
Food
category
N
Average*
E
N
Average *
E
N
Average *
E
Cereals
171
1.312
0.06
69
0.928
0.02
102
1.573
0.09
Starchy roots
25
1.686
0.27
14
0.891
0.04
11
2.697
0.46
Sugars and
sweeteners
2
1.005
0.02
2
1.005
0.02
Legumes
9
1.522
0.55
7
0.816
0.07
2
3.995
1.68
Oils
15
1.078
0.07
13
0.991
0.05
2
1.645
0.00
Vegetables
37
1.064
0.10
31
0.876
0.03
6
2.038
0.44
5
Fruits, except
wines
7
2.080
0.43
2
0.955
0.04
5
2.530
0.46
All foods of
plant origin
266
1.325
0.05
138
0.914
0.02
128
1.736
0.09
Meats
8
0.988
0.03
8
0.988
0.03
Except milk
and butter
18
1.434
0.24
13
0.949
0.04
5
2.694
0.57
Eggs
1
1.060
1
1.060
All foods of
animal origin
27
1.288
0.16
22
0.968
0.02
5
2.694
0.57
All foods of
plant and
animal origin
293
1.321
0.05
160
0.922
0.01
133
1.802
0.09
*Average yield rate. 1: organic=conventional; <1: conventional greater than
organic; >1: organic greater than conventional. E. Standard Error. N. Number
of cases analyzed.
Source: Badgley et al., 2007.
Globally, organic agriculture covers 37.5 million hectares of agricultural products
and 31 million ha of non-agricultural products (gathering, aquaculture, and others).
More than 1.9 million farmers practice this form of agriculture, free of agrotoxins,
and in which Mexico is 3rd in terms of number of farmers, after India and Uganda
(FiBL-IFOAM, 2014).
The countries with the largest surfaces are Australia, with 12 million hectares;
Argentina, with 3.6 million; and the United States, with 2.2 million. Ten countries
have converted over 10% of their total surface to organic methods; the most
outstanding are the Falkland Islands with 36.3%, Liechtenstein with 29.6%, and
Austria with 19.7% (FiBL-IFOAM, 2014).
The world organic market for 2012 reached 64 billion dollars, the most prominent
countries being the United States, with an internal market of 32 billion dollars
(avoiding products with genetically modified organisms is one of the greatest
motivations for consumers in this country), followed by the European market with
29 billion dollars (Germany accounts for almost a third of this consumption), and
the rest of the regions of the world in Oceania, Asia, and Latin America with 3
billion dollars (FiBL-IFOAM, 2014).
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3.2. Virtues of Organic Agriculture in Mexico
Mexican organic agriculture is different to those in other countries, since it is linked
to small-scale farmers (99.9% of the total of producers) with less than 3 ha, mostly
organized into legally constituted structures (rural farming societies, cooperatives,
ejido unions, social solidarity societies, and others).
Table 2. Mexico. Number and Ethnic Groups of Indigenous Organic Farmers,
by Selected Federal Entity, 2007-2008 (number and %)
State
Farmers
Indigenous
Farmers
Ethnic groups
Number
(%)
Chiapas
67,756
63,582
93.82
Tobilja, Zoque, Tzeltal, Tzotzil,
Chol, Tojolobal, Maya, Chatino
Oaxaca
36,219
33600
91.10
Zapotec, Mixtec, Mixe, Chontal,
Chatino, Chinantec, Triqui,
Mazatec, Cuicatec.
Tabasco
5,432
2173
40.00
Nahua
Veracruz
3,587
774
21.60
Nahua and Totonaca
Guerrero
1,747
646
37.00
Nahua and Mexica
Puebla
2,283
2208
96.70
Nahua and Totonaca
Others
8,007
504
6.30
Mazahua, Popoloca, and Maya
Total
125,031
103,487
82.77
Source: Gómez Cruz et al. 2010.
Most of the production is carried out in the south of the country, broadly related to
the geography of poverty, biodiversity, and ethnic presence. Out of all the farmers,
83% belong to one of the following ethnic groups: Tobilja, Zoque, Tzeltal, Tzotzil,
Chol, Tojolobal, Maya, Chatina, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mixe, Chontal, Chinanteca, Triqui,
Nahua, Totonaca, Mexica, Mazatec, Cuicatec, Mazahua, Popoloca, and Maya (see
Table 2).
The incorporation of women into the different scopes of the Mexican economy has
increased considerably in recent years. Organic production is no exception, since
currently 34.6% of farmers are women, who are not only in charge of housework,
but also of the production unit.
7
In most certified organic coffee production units there are elderly people and
indigenous women farmers. Their participation is not marginal, given that an
important number of women have taken the driver’s seat regarding the
management of organic fields; this is relevant in rural areas, where traditions,
cultural patterns, and power relations that form within families and communities
generally marginalize women regarding decision-making. Currently, women are
members of organizations and decision-makers in many social organizations of
small-scale farmers. Their participation is increasingly relevant, due not only to
their numbers, but also to the role they play in their organizations; many of them
are board members.
Conventional agriculture can bring about several environmental problems,
including the following: (a) erosion and reduction of soil fertility; (b) depletion of
nutrients; (c) pollution of water tables (mainly with nitrates); (d) pollution of surface
water with pesticide and fertilizer residues; (e) eutrophication of bodies of water; (f)
acidification and salinization of soils; (g) greater incidence of pests and diseases,
attributable to a greater use of pesticides, and the elimination of natural enemies of
pests, which make them more resistance; (h) loss of biodiversity; (i) destruction of
the ozone layer; and (j) contribution to rising planet temperatures and climate
change (Altieri and Nicholls, 2006). Conventional agriculture is unsustainable in the
long term, it does not have the potential to produce food in the future, and it is
eroding the conditions and resources that make it possible (Gliessman, 2002).
In contrast, organic agriculture minimizes all forms of pollution that may be
produced by agricultural practices; it promotes and intensifies biological and
biogeochemical cycles within the agricultural system; it protects and restores the
ecosystem processes that guarantee the natural fertility of the soil, as well as its
sustainability and permanence; it maintains and increases soil fertility, and,
whenever possible, it uses the renewable natural resources in the farming
systems; it maintains the genetic diversity of the agro ecosystems and their
surroundings, including the protection of habitats of wild plants and animals
(IFOAM, 2008).
8
Organic agriculture is a friendly form of production, in harmony with nature and the
conservation of natural resources. This element has also helped adopt this new
way of practicing agriculture by Mexican indigenous farmers, who have the
protection to Mother Nature or Mother Earth as a part of their belief system or view
of the world.
Organic agriculture plays a relevant part as a strategy of adaptation and mitigation
to climate change, due to its reduced use of fossil fuels, greater water use
efficiency, resilience towards external weather events, and the low risk of total loss
of crops (IFOAM-IFOAM EU GROUP, 2009).
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that agriculture
has the potential to mitigate 5.5 to 6 gigatons of CO2/year by 2030; 89% could
come from the carbon trapped in soils by way of organic matter (humus), an aspect
that could be carried out using organic and agro-ecological techniques (De
Schutter, 2010). Other authors estimate that with organic agriculture, soil can be
fixed in 200-2000 kg (depending on the type of practices used, types of soil, etc) of
carbon per hectare more than in conventional agriculture using different organic
techniques (IFOAM-IFOAM EU GROUP, 2009).
A 2003 study carried out by the International Fund for Agricultural Development for
farmers in Latin America (IFAD), documented that organic agriculture is related to
a reduction in poverty, since this agriculture helps farmers provide themselves with
food, and to sell their products at a Premium cost (IFAD, 2003). It is an alternative
that helps them create more jobs. The organic sector in Mexico created 245
thousand direct jobs.
3.3. Economic and Social Importance of Organic Agriculture in Mexico
Unlike other farming sectors in Mexico, the organic sector has grown amidst the
agro food crisis. The organic surface, the number of producers, the income created,
9
and the number of jobs have presented an average yearly dynamism of 20% since
1996 (Table 3). The organic surface nationwide has grown 22% a year, and in
1996, 21,265 ha were counted; in the year 2000 there were 102,802ha, in 2008,
this amount had grown to 378,693ha, and by 2012 the total surface was estimated
in 512 thousand ha. Mexico is number 3 worldwide in terms of amount of farmers,
with over 169 thousand.
Organic agriculture is an important activity in terms of creation of jobs and incomes.
Its adoption requires, on average, 30% more workforce per hectare than
conventional agriculture, therefore contributing to the creation of approximately
245,000 direct jobs. Mexico is the world’s largest producer of organic coffee, and
its agro ecological characteristics also give it a comparative advantage in the
production of winter vegetables and tropical fruits, the markets of which have
aimed mostly at international trade, creating an important source of income.
Table 3. Evolution of Organic Agriculture in Mexico, 1996-2012
Indicator
1996
1998
2000
2004/05
2007/08
2012
TCMA
Surface (ha)
21,265
54,457
102,802
307,692
378,693
512,246
22.00
Number of
farmers
13,176
27,914
33,587
83,174
128,862
169,570
17.31
Direct jobs
13,785
32,270
60,918
150,914
172,293
245,000
19.70
Income
(US$1,000)
34,293
72,000
139,404
270,503
394,149
600,000
19.59
2012: estimation
Source: Gómez Cruz et al. 2010 and own estimations, 2012.
In 2008, more than 650 organic production units were found throughout Mexico
(considering farmer organizations as a production unit). The predominant activity
within organic production refers to organic agricultural activity, since this gathers
91.6% of the units and 97.2% of the producers (Tables 4 and 5).
10
The growth of organic agriculture is concentrated mainly in the states of Chiapas
and Oaxaca, which are the poorest entities of the country, with the lowest Human
Development Indices. Likewise, Mexico is one of the 12 countries of the world
considered “megadiverse,” and Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz concentrate
approximately 70% of the biodiversity of the country.
The distribution of the organic surface by entities is 32% in Chiapas, 17% in
Oaxaca, 13% in Michoacán, 8% in Querétaro, 4.6% in Tabasco, 4.9% in Guerrero,
4% in Veracruz, 3.7% in Sinaloa, and the rest, in the remaining entities.
Table 4. Mexico. Economic Importance of Organic by Sector, 2012
1996
1998
2000
2004-
2005
2007-
2008
2012
Agriculture
21,265
85,676
292,459
326,436
351,904
Gathering
46,208
56,000
Cattle
17,126
15,233
6,049
15,000
Beekeeping
37,477
89,342
Total
21,265
54,457
102,802
307,692
378,693
512,246
Source: Gómez Cruz et al. 2010 and own estimations, 2012.
Table 5. Mexico: Surface of Organic Livestock Production by Species, 2004-
2008 (hectares and %)
Species
Surface
2004/05
2007/08
Hectares
(%)
Hectares
(%)
Beef cattle
9,122.20
60.00
5,796.80
95.83
Beef and milk
cattle
771.60
5.10
128.00
2.12
Milk cattle
482.00
3.20
n.d.
n.d.
Sheep
353.00
2.30
60.00
0.99
Others
64.20
1.06
National Total
10,728.80
100.00
6,049.00
100.00
Source: Gómez Cruz et al. 2010.
In 1996, approximately 30 crops or groups of crops in associations were grown
organically, and by 2008 that figure had increased to 67. However, 15 crops
11
concentrate 97.3% of the surface containing organic crops. This implies that, even
when there is a tendency towards diversification of organic production as a result
of efforts by farmers to broaden the supply of products (bamboo, garlic, neem,
peanut, apricot, and jiotilla are crops that were incorporated into organic production
in the past three years), the surface used for coffee production (46.5% of the
country’s organic surface) continues to stand out. Other important crops are
vegetables, with 9.3% of the total organic surface, avocado with 8.3%, herbs with
8%, cocoa with 3.9%, and mango with 3.3% of the total organic surface of the
country (Figure 1).
Café,
185,192,
50%
Hierbas,
30,199,
8%
Hortalizas
35,414,
10%
Aguacate,
31,572,
8%
Cacao,
14,795,
4%
Otros,
75,473,
20%
Traducción de conceptos de Figura 1 en sentido de manecillas del reloj,
empezando por “café”:
Coffee
Herbs
Vegetables
Avocado
Cocoa
Others
Figure 1. Mexico. Surface of Main Organic Crops, 2008 (ha and %)
Source: Gómez Cruz et al. 2010.
12
Livestock production is still in an incipient phase, with only 47 production units
countrywide. Veracruz and Tabasco are the main producing states, mainly with
beef, and to a lesser extent, dairy and other types of livestock (sheep, chicken, etc).
Beekeeping has displayed a more promising behavior, with 23 production units,
composed mostly of farmer social units in Quintana Roo and Oaxaca, adding up to
over 3,700 beekeepers and over 37 thousand hives, with a production of 1,326
tons; nearly 60% is exported to the European market, with a value of 3.5 million
dollars.
At a market level there is basic dependence on exporting produce by at least 80%
(Table 6), while the internal market is growing, yet in an unplanned manner,
making supply erratic and concentrated in producing states, to such an extent that
it is now possible to find imported products that are sold in specialized stores and
supermarkets.
Table 6. Mexico: Destination of Exported Organic Production, 2007-2008
Product
Countries
Café
Germany, Denmark, France, Netherlands, England,
Italy, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Japan, and
others.
Avocado
Canada, United Stated, Japan, Switzerland, and others.
Fresh fruit
Germany, France, Netherlands, England, Switzerland,
United States, Canada, and Japan.
Dried fruits
Germany, Netherlands, England, Switzerland, United
States, and Canada.
Vegetables
Germany, France, United States, and Canada.
Herbs
United States and Canada.
Source: Gómez Cruz et al. 2010.
Nearly 20% of the organic production in Mexico for sale in the internal market,
which has grown little and expanded, particularly since the last decade of the 20th
Century. Sales of organic foods are carried out via supermarkets, markets and
local organic tianguis, specialized stores (e.g. Green Corner with 5 branch stores,
or Aires del Campo, which belongs to Herdez group), health food stores, cafeterias,
and restaurants. One of the most important actors in the local organic movement
13
has been the REDAC, (Spanish acronym for the Mexican Organic Tianguis and
Market Network), which began with four markets (Chapingo, Oaxaca, Xalapa, and
Guadalajara) in 2004.
Table 7. Mexico: REDAC Consolidated Organic Tianguis and Markets REDAC,
2015
State
Place
Name
Number of
farmers
1
Oaxaca
Ixtlán de Juárez
Tianguis Organico Yuu Vaan
Sierra Juarez
80
2
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Tianguis Alternativo Pochote
Xochimilco
43
3
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
El Pochote Productos Orgánicos
14
4
Estado de
México
Chapingo
Tianguis Orgánico Chapingo
92
5
Estado de
México
Metepec
Bosque de Agua
18
6
Baja
California
San José del
Cabo
Mercado Orgánico de San
José del Cabo
170*
7
Jalisco
Guadalajara
Círculo de Producción y
Consumo responsable
34
8
Veracruz
Coatepec
Mercado Bio-regional Coatl
48
9
Veracruz
Xalapa
Mercado Agroecológico
Xalapa
36
10
Chiapas
San Cristóbal de
las Casas
Red de Productores y
Consumidores responsables
– Comida Sana y Cercana
32
11
Chiapas
Tapachula
Tianguis de Productos
Naturales y Orgánicos – El
Huacalero
26
12
Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala
Mercado Alternativo de
Tlaxcala
50
13
Tlaxcala
Apizaco
Mercado Alternativo de
Tlaxcala - Apizaco
18
14
Morelos
Tepoztlán
Ameyalli Tlacualli
30
15
Morelos
Hueyapan
Tierra Madre
60
16
Puebla
Puebla
Tianguis Alternativo de
Puebla
16
17
Guanajuato
San Miguel
Allende
TOSMA (Tianguis Orgánico
San Miguel Allende)
63
18
San Luis
Potosí
San Luis Potosí
Mercado Mauilli Teotzin
20
19
Yucatán
Cancún
Universidad del Caribe
24
20
Quintana
Roo
Playa del Carmen
La Miscelania Orgánica
12
Total
1,030
14
* (30 food producers/farmers).
Source: Authors’ own work.
The REDAC is a civil society group composed of local and regional organic
markets and tianguis of small- or medium-scale farmers, consumers, and
promoters that collaborate with other actors in the national or international scene.
By 2015, the REDAC had 20 consolidated markets, and 3 under way, with over
1,000 producers, and over 10 markets in the process of consolidation and creation
(Table 7).
The organic quality of the produce was verified using 2 mechanisms: third party
certification or certification agencies (Certimex, IMO Control, Mayacert, Agricert,
and Metrocert, which are the agencies accredited by SENASICA in 2014), and the
other mechanism that was included in the Law is Participatory Certification, defined
as a collective process between producers, consumers and other actors, which
guarantees the organic and healthy qualities of local products, produced at a small
scale, based on relations of trust and that promote commitments of health, ecology,
equity, and environmental certainty (www.tianguisorganicos.org.mx). Participatory
certification includes various revision mechanisms, one of which is shown un
Figure 2.
Figure 2. Participatory Certification Process
Source: Author’s own work.
15
Traducción de conceptos de Figura 2 en el orden de las flechas:
Request by farmer Farmer fills in form PC Committee reviews
questionnaire Visit to farm, facilities, etc. PCC meeting for verdict on
organic norms 1. Acceptance; 2. Conditioned acceptance; 3.
RejectionMonitoring and training
In the institutional framework, the Organic Products Law was published in the
Official Federation Journal on February 7, 2006. However, it wasn’t until October
29, 2013 that the Guidelines for the Organic Operation of Farming Activities were
published, setting in a particular way the requirements for farmers (for different
types of agricultural, livestock, processed, and commercialized products). At the
same time, it is established that as of October 29, 2014, all products considered
organic must be certified and bear the national seal. Certification can be carried out
through an accredited agency, or a Participatory Certification Commttee approved
by SENASICA (none have yet been approved). In general terms, it is possible to
state that the regulation is not yet complete, which leads farmers to keep using
international norms and to obtain private certifications to continue selling their
products. In addition, it is necessary for the State to retake the elements of
promotion and incentive of the activity presented in the Organic Products Law.
Conclusions
The importance of organic agriculture lies in the fact that it picks up the three
scopes of sustainability: the environmental, economic, and social scopes. The
Mexican organic sector covers 512,000 ha, 169 thousand farmers, it provides 245
thousand permanent jobs and 600 million dollars in income; it is linked to the
geography of poverty, biological and ethnic diversity of the country, since it is
located mainly in the south southeast, where 99.9% of all farmers that own less
than 3 ha belong to an indigenous ethnic group (88%), out of which 35% are
women and are in charge of the organic fields. Its environmental contribution lies in
being one of the few activities that helps mitigate climate change, since it stores
carbon in the soils (organic matter), it reduces the use of energy in agricultural
activities, saves water and the soil resource, it offers a space free of agrotoxins for
16
farmers and day workers, and provides healthy food for personal consumption and
national and international consumers.
Organic, agroecolocial, sustainable agriculture, amongst others, are some of the
scarce options that the majority of experts have found to contribute in an important
manner to the solution of the world’s and the country’s major problems such as
climate change, hunger, poverty, family food security, migration, unemployment,
and underdevelopment. In Mexico, therefore, an opportunity arises for the State to
catalyze many of the virtues of this agriculture, and to support a way of production
that would ensure higher standards of living for farmers and Mexican society in
general.
Bibliography
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