Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Objective: To describe and analyze, through the knowledge and experiences of a group of Zoque women, the processes of artisanal bread production and commercialization in the municipality of Ocozocoautla de Espinosa, Chiapas. Methodology: A qualitative research approach was employed through interviews with 15 Zoque women bakers. Results: The study found that for the participants, engaging in artisanal bread production is a source of pride and requires daily effort despite the challenges. It examines how these women preserve their traditional methods while facing commercialization difficulties. Additionally, the study analyzes the impact of gender in this context, highlighting barriers such as limited access to credit, the burden of domestic work that restricts their production time, and the lack of visibility of their labor in the formal market. Limitations: Some participants faced difficulties expressing themselves during the interviews due to inhibition. Conclusions: The research highlights the preservation of traditional practices in artisanal bread production among Zoque women in Ocozocoautla de Espinosa, despite the economic and social barriers they face.

Objective: The construction of a risk indexes the artisanal aquaculture activity based on the perception of fishermen and fish farmers organized in cooperatives in the location of Mazunte, Oaxaca, and La Laguna Cuyutlán, Colima. Methodology: Questionnaires with closed questions were applied to construct four risk components; fishing and/or aquaculture activity, hydrometeorological phenomena, climatic events and economic events, counting a total of 25 risk factors divided between the different components, the Likert scale was used as a tool to define the exposure level and intensity of the different factors and standardizing each of the components to obtain the risk index. Results: The general result was a low level of risk for the town of Mazunte and a medium level of risk in the town of La Laguna de Cuyutlán. Limitations: For this work, only the perception of those involved was considered, however, there are different types of risk. Conclusions: Artisanal aquaculture activity is viable from the risk perception of fishermen and fish farmers in both cases for the diversification of their productive activities, as well as identifying the main risk factors to establish strategies to minimize their effects.

Objective: To analyze Las Chispas mining operation in Arizpe, Sonora, as a paradigmatic case of mining in Mexico, to explore the possibility of transitioning from extractive to sustainable practices in the mining industry. Methodology: A case study and documentary review of the practices and techniques used in mining, with an exploratory scope. Results: The logic of mining in Mexico has been oriented outward, reflected in imported techniques and practices, as well as in the relationships established with different capitals and permissive mining legislation. This has affected the construction of the social fabric; mining companies maintain a sustainability discourse that does not translate into concrete actions. Limitations: This is based on a documentary analysis, which may limit the generalization of the results. However, it offers a detailed insight into the dynamics of mining in Mexico. Conclusions: The Las Chispas mine exemplifies the classic extractivism pattern in Mexican mining, characterized by a lack of integration with the local economy and the export of minerals. Despite the sustainability narrative, mining companies generate profits without making significant contributions to the state or the local community, suggesting the need for public policies that promote more sustainable development

Objective: Identify edible plant species not consumed, as well as parts of plants and forms of preparation of edible species used in other regions, but not recognized by the inhabitants of Las Placetas, Chicontepec, Veracruz. Methodology: This requires the realization of conversational transects and key informant interviews. The field information was triangulated with that obtained from the review of databases and scientific literature on the consumption of parts of plants and forms of preparation of species in other regions of the country and the world. Results: In total, 33 species with unknown edible use were identified, as well as 14 species with parts of plants and forms of preparation not recognized in the study area. Limitations: Although this is a study in a particular context, it expresses the food resources still available in the face of a socio-environmental contingency. Conclusions: In the local context, there are still food resources that are not identified by the population, which show the need to carry out studies at the local level to generate the necessary knowledge for their eventual incorporation into the design of public policies aimed at food security.

Objective: To describe the socio-technical trajectory (STT) of the conservation of local maize (CLM) and to deepen in the subjective meanings that sustain it in peasant domestic production units (PDPU) located in the Frailesca region, Chiapas, Mexico. Methodology: The ethnographic method based on semi-structured interviews and field visits was used to describe components of the socio-technical trajectory of 25 farmers' UDPCs that have conserved at least one local maize variety (ML) for more than two years, characterized from the “Livelihoods” approach. Results: The farmers who conserve local maize (FCLM) have limited capital to maintain the conservation of local maize, which is inserted in a STT configured by heterogeneous elements in a dynamic that does not enable this process; but is widely meant by the FCLM based mainly on the agronomic and culinary characteristics of these maize. Limitations: Not all cultivation plots were visited due to their widely dispersed distribution in the ejido. Conclusions: The conservation of local maize in the ejido Jesús María Garza is part of an increasingly complex socio-technical trajectory due to the intertwining with the technological materiality associated with agricultural modernization, sustained by subjective meanings that farmers confer to this process as a key counterweight to maintain it despite the multiple mediations.

Objective: To evaluate whether there are differences in the level of food security and nutritional status among families with small-scale home gardens with varying levels of production in the communities of the municipality of San Ignacio Río Muerto, Sonora, Mexico, during the same period. Methodology: A cross-sectional study with a sample of 60 participants. The Mexican Food Security Scale for the northern region of the country, a food frequency questionnaire, and a questionnaire to characterize the participant and their garden were applied to the heads of households. In addition, anthropometric measurements were taken to assess nutritional status. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. Results: Interviewees reported that growing vegetables in their own gardens helped them save money on produce and prioritize the consumption of their own food. They also showed higher levels of food security (p = 0.0036). The evaluation of children's nutritional status revealed a height more appropriate for their age (p = 0.0114). Limitations: Access to the communities is challenging due to poor road conditions and insecurity in the area. Conclusions: It is concluded that there is a positive relationship between productive home gardens and better indicators of nutrition and food security.

Objective: To analyze women's relationships and labor roles in adventure tourism businesses in communities in the southern region of Quintana Roo, Mexico. To achieve this, the study characterized gender roles, discrimination, and women's work experience and identified the perceptions of both female and male workers regarding gender-assigned roles in adventure tourism. Methodology: This research is qualitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional, employing in-depth interviews with 13 members of tourism businesses. The study identified three main categories: work experience in adventure tourism businesses, labor segmentation, and double presence. Results: Adventure tourism businesses are predominantly male and exhibit complex gender dynamics, where deeply rooted traditional perceptions coexist with practical adaptations to meet tourist expectations. Limitations: The sample size and geographical focus may limit the applicability of the findings to other contexts. Conclusions: The activities and perceptions regarding women, particularly in physically demanding roles such as tour guides, reflect the persistence of care and fragility stereotypes. The strategies employed by the interviewees demonstrate effective adaptation to balance work and family responsibilities, highlighting practical and collaborative approaches to successfully managing both aspects.

Objective: To analyze the reasons behind the preference of local consumers in the Chontalpa region of Tabasco for three types of semi-industrial chocolates: milk, semi-bitter and bitter. Methodology: A qualitative approach was followed to examine in depth the opinions on the reasons for these preferences. Using the focus group technique, we worked with four groups, with an average of 11 people in each group. Results: Consumers associate the smell of chocolate with their experience of cocoa consumption in the area. Although sweetness is the most important flavor, bitter taste is better tolerated by older people. They value the grainy texture and color, as they relate them to the traditional chocolate of the region. For these consumers, the combination of these elements influences the quality and originality of chocolate. Limitations: The findings are not generalizable, as the study focused on a specific geographical context. Conclusion: The reasons for preference are related to the taste, aroma, appearance, texture and color of the product. Although they prefer milk chocolate for its sweetness, the traditional consumption of cocoa allows them to tolerate bitter flavors, and associate cocoa characteristics with the originality of chocolate.

Objective: Identify the relationships between ancestral knowledge and the use of native plants. Methodology: To achieve the objective, a mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating binary logistic regression analysis and qualitative data analysis tools using Atlas.ti. This approach was applied to data concerning natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Results: The analysis revealed a significant co-occurrence between conservation practices and biodiversity management, underscoring the importance of Indigenous communities in the preservation of traditional knowledge. In addition, the logistic regression model highlights those variables such as biodiversity management, geographical location, and the use of medicinal plants that significantly influence the likelihood of certain events associated with traditional knowledge. Limitation: A large part of the bibliography and studies are published in Anglo-Saxon countries, which minimizes the origin of the source of the studies and their application with benefits to people. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the interrelationship between sustainable agricultural practices and traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation, providing a solid foundation for future research in this field.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between eating habits and sustainable lifestyles during the Covid-19 pandemic (February 2020-November 2022) and afterward (May 2023-January 2024) in female students enrolled in the third semester of the Business Management degree in a mixed mode. Methodology: It was qualitative, cross-sectional, and with an ethnographic approach; data were collected through interviews with 10 students from the Technological Institute of Acayucan, Veracruz. Results: Showed that, since the first confinement due to the health emergency, the students implemented changes in their eating habits oriented towards a healthier and therefore more sustainable lifestyle, prioritizing the consumption of local, fresh products from their rural areas or nearby towns, thus shortening production chains and thereby reducing their water and carbon footprint. Limitations: Due to mandatory social isolation as part of the preventive measures during the pandemic, the main limitations were the use of digital media such as Zoom in the initial interview sessions, to avoid compromising their health and that of the students. Conclusions: Showed that eating behavior changed due to the pandemic, leading to improvements .in the students' eating habits; this, in turn, is related to healthy and sustainable eating.