Effects of land tenure and urbanization on the change of land use of cacao (Theobroma cacao) agroforestry systems in southeast Mexico

Tree diversity and composition in Mexican traditional smallholder cocoa agroforestry systems

“…This type of management has shown severe long-term ecological damage causing soil degradation, low quality and productivity, and biodiversity loss (Gyau et al 2014;Andres et al 2016). Recent studies in Tabasco (southeast Mexico), showed a decreasing trend in the area used for cacao production, with the loss of almost half of the territory (46.4%) in a period of 13 years (Oporto-Peregrino et al 2019). Some of the most critical components behind this pattern are urban development, the expansion of the monoculture frontier (e.g., bananas, oil), drops in market prices of cocoa beans, and lack of interest of the new generations in cultivating cocoa (Tudela, 1992;Zequeira-Larios 2014).…”

“…For instance, currently and in detriment to biodiversity, both Tabasco and Chiapas states have higher economic incentives for sugar cane and oil palm production (Xantomilla 2019;FIRA 2020a;SAGARPA, 2020). Such financial incentives, along with urbanization, have promoted the loss of large extensions of cocoa-AFS in the region (Oporto-Peregrino et al 2019). Furthermore, the type of land tenure affects the access to government resources, where credits are available for private owners and not for those within ejidos (FIRA, 2020b).…”