TOWARDS THE SUSTAINABILITY OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) CULTIVATION IN ACAMBAY, ESTADO DE MÉXICO

Abstract

Objective: The agroecological sustainability of maize (Zea mays L.) crop land races was evaluated in the municipality of Acambay, Estado de México. 

Design/methodology/approach: In the first phase of this pilot study, semi-structured interviews were applied to maize crop producers to assess whether the questionnaire applied is relevant, complete and precise to obtain the information required by the IDEA method to assess sustainability. The participants were selected by means of snowball sampling.

Results: The results showed that on average 1.6 ha, are grown per producer. Regarding the color of maize land races, 80% of producers grow white maize while 20% grow four colors (white, black, pink or red and yellow). The indicators "intercropped crops (A5) and zones of ecological regulation (A8)" have the potential to substantially improve the agroecological sustainability of the maize land races since they obtained 0 in this pilot study.

Study limitations/implications: The questionnaire applied in the interviews was elaborated based on the criteria used in the IDEA method, which evaluates three dimensions (agroecological, socio-territorial and economic); however, in this article only the results of the agroecological dimension are presented.

Findings/conclusions: It is concluded that on average the respondents achieved a sustainability of 9% out of 33% in the component "domestic diversity", 11% out of 33% in the component "organization of space", and 18% out of 34% in the component "agricultural practices". Therefore, the agroecological dimension in this study reached a sustainability of 38%.