A maize landscape: Ethnicity and agro-biodiversity in Chiapas Mexico

Brush, Stephen B.; Perales, Hugo

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.12.018

Cited by 134 publications

(166 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Studies have found that morphological, physiological, and molecular diversity in maize often correlates with altitude and/or latitude, and various scholars have construed causality in these associations (19,20). On first impression, our results seem to support this hypothesis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…A flurry of social studies conducted over the last 25 y seems to indicate-in opposition to agronomists' early forecasts-that farmers in centers of crop origin continue to grow considerable diversity (9,10). Unsurprisingly, given wide disparities in methods, social studies do not present a unified perspective on this question, as exemplified by the literature on maize (8,11,20,21). Similarly, some within the social sciences emphasize the human influence in the distribution of maize diversity, whereas others consider it secondary to the environment's dominant role (14)(15)(16)(19)(20)(21).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Various disciplinary and methodological approaches have nurtured an enduring debate on farmers' role in crop evolution (1,5,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). The social sciences have contributed much to our understanding of crop diversity, often contradicting alternative perspectives on issues as urgent as in situ conservation (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unsurprisingly, given wide disparities in methods, social studies do not present a unified perspective on this question, as exemplified by the literature on maize (8,11,20,21). Similarly, some within the social sciences emphasize the human influence in the distribution of maize diversity, whereas others consider it secondary to the environment's dominant role (14)(15)(16)(19)(20)(21). Our analysis helps explain these contradictions as a result of the constrained perspective-both static and local-that crosssectional case study data have imposed on this debate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adaptive radiation is perhaps the most obvious expression today of the evolution of maize, and the environment's role in it has been inferred generally from observations associating diversity with geographic location (19,20). Studies have found that morphological, physiological, and molecular diversity in maize often correlates with altitude and/or latitude, and various scholars have construed causality in these associations (19,20).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Genetic erosion in maize’s center of origin

Dyer

López‐Feldman

Yunez-Naude

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Crop genetic diversity is an indispensable resource for farmers and professional breeders responding to changing climate, pests, and diseases. Anecdotal appraisals in centers of crop origin have suggested serious threats to this diversity for over half a century. However, a nationwide inventory recently found all maize races previously described for Mexico, including some formerly considered nearly extinct. A flurry of social studies seems to confirm that farmers maintain considerable diversity. Here, we compare estimates of maize diversity from case studies over the past 15 y with nationally and regionally representative matched longitudinal data from farmers across rural Mexico. Our findings reveal an increasing bias in inferences based on case study results and widespread loss of diversity. Cross-sectional, case study data suggest that farm-level richness has increased by 0.04 y −1 nationwide; however, direct estimates using matched longitudinal data reveal that richness dropped −0.04 y −1 between 2002 and 2007, from 1.43 to 1.22 varieties per farm. Varietal losses occurred across regions and altitudinal zones, and regardless of farm turnover within the sector. Extinction of local maize populations may not have resulted in an immediate loss of alleles, but low varietal richness and changes in maize's metapopulation dynamics may prevent farmers from accessing germplasm suitable to a rapidly changing climate. Declining yields could then lead farmers to leave the sector and result in a further loss of diversity. Similarities in research approaches across crops suggest that methodological biases could conceal a loss of diversity at other centers of crop origin.in situ conservation | crop evolution | climate change | corn

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Genetic erosion in maize’s center of origin

Dyer

López‐Feldman

Yunez-Naude

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Transgene flow in Mexican maize revisited: Socio‐biological analysis across two contrasting farmer communities and seed management systems

Agapito-Tenfen

López

Mallah

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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The flow of transgenes into landraces and wild relatives is an important biosafety concern. The case of transgene flow into local maize varieties in Mexico (the center of origin of maize) has been intensively debated over the past 15 years, including legal, political, and environmental disputes fanned by the existence of a significant scientific controversy over the methods used for the detection of transgenes. The use of diverse approaches and a lack of harmonized methods specific to the detection and monitoring of transgenes in landraces have generated both positive and negative results regarding contamination of Mexican maize with genetically modified material over the years. In this paper, we revisit the case of transgene contamination in Mexican maize and present a novel research approach based on socio‐biological analysis of contrasting communities and seed management systems. Two communities were used to investigate how different social and biological factors can affect transgene flow and impact transgene spread in Mexico. Our results show the presence of transgenes in one community and thus support the position that transgenes are highly likely to be present in Mexican maize landraces. However, our work also demonstrates that the extent and frequency with which transgenes can be found will significantly depend on the societal characteristics and seed management systems of the local communities. Therefore, we argue that future analysis of transgene presence should include social research on the seed management practices in the sampling area so that more robust and comprehensive understandings and conclusions can be drawn.

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The role of rubber farming in household dietary diversity in the upper Mekong region, Southwest China

Luo

Min

Bai

2021

Food and Energy Security

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The expansion of cash tree crops, such as natural rubber, in the tropical region of South Asia has resulted in an agricultural transformation from subsistence production to market‐oriented production, implicating the local ecological environment, economy, and household welfare. Based on representative household survey data collected from 611 smallholder rubber farmers in the upper Mekong region, Southwest China, this study examines the impacts of rubber farming on the household dietary diversity of smallholders and explores its potential impact channels through farm production diversity and household income. The results show that rubber expansion has significantly improved household income but negatively affected farm production diversity. While rubber cultivation always has significant and positive effects on dietary diversity, it also indirectly impacts on dietary diversity by the two channels, namely farm production diversity and household income. A set of heterogeneous analyses reveals that rubber cultivation contributes more to household dietary diversity for smallholders having relatively low household wealth or living in a village without a market. While the findings confirm the contribution of rubber cultivation to improving household incomes, food security, and nutrition, the potential risks under the background of falling rubber prices cannot be ignored. The findings of this study not only have important policy implications for improving the food security and nutrition of smallholder rubber farmers but also provide a better understanding of the welfare effects of cash tree crop expansion in tropical regions.

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A maize landscape: Ethnicity and agro-biodiversity in Chiapas Mexico

Cited by 134 publications

References 25 publications

Genetic erosion in maize’s center of origin

Genetic erosion in maize’s center of origin

Transgene flow in Mexican maize revisited: Socio‐biological analysis across two contrasting farmer communities and seed management systems

The role of rubber farming in household dietary diversity in the upper Mekong region, Southwest China

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