Innovation of Women Farmers: A Technological Proposal for Mezcalilleras’ Sustainability in Mexico, Based on Knowledge Management

Abstract

Currently, technology usage is a fundamental asset for creating, developing, and implementing innovations; however, these are not available to everyone, which is accentuated in women with agricultural occupations. The present study develops a proposal of technologies for mezcalilleras’ sustainability from Oaxaca, Mexico, based on a knowledge management methodology, through the application of questionnaires in face-to-face sessions, field visits, and statistical analysis to explore the imbalances enclosed in the agave–mezcal activity seen as its problems, failures, and barriers, as well as its correlation with the identified technological routes. The results reveal that a technological platform creation, the fabrication of fiber optic refractometer, a metal roof construction, the design of a horizontal distiller–fractionator, the employment of metal containers and production of glass bottles, and the generation of a software and an application, are the suitable technologies, according to the mezcalilleras’ requirements. This proposal can be important for academics, policymakers, and producers who wish to revitalize traditional knowledge of the small-scale sectors in Mexico through new ways of interaction with external agents and customers, new ways of production, and previous years’ production analysis.

Roadmapping 5.0 Technologies in Agriculture: A Technological Proposal for Developing the Coffee Plant Centered on Indigenous Producers’ Requirements from Mexico, via Knowledge Management

“…Third phase: For the technological proposal, the information of the indigenous coffee producers was considered, as well as the availability of resources, following the line of [ 85 ] regarding the evaluation and selection of technology. In this sense, the requirements were assessed through statistical analysis following the studies of [ 86 , 87 ], based on the frequency of social and productive information, and actions to be implemented via technological routes, evaluating the normality of the distribution and applying parametric/non-parametric tests for checking statistical correlations, following [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. With the calculation of statistical correlations, results were linked with the availability of resources in regard to Industry 5.0 technologies, following the line of [ 41 ], considering their implementation in similar contexts.…”

Does Gender Impact Technology Adoption in Dual-Purpose Cattle in Mexico?

“…This proportion does not mean better personal and professional opportunities for the female gender in the country—quite the opposite, as Mexico faces social and economic inequalities and disadvantages in addition to high discrimination against women. This is evidenced by 77% of men being employed in primary, secondary, and tertiary economic activities compared to 45% of women [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Apart from this, the agricultural activity of Mexico supports 58% of the total production value and represents 42% of total income, where the activities developed by women are fundamental not only because they carry out diversified and traditional agricultural practices that maintain and improve crops, but also because they retain ancestral knowledge and traditional uses of the different crops and local varieties [ 8 ].…”

“…However, women still do not participate as equal partners in sustainable development practices, often have limited access to resources, and are excluded from decision-making processes [ 7 ]. Moreover, the female gender in the rural world has been historically invisible and discriminated against in all areas with unequal treatment [ 6 ]. Due to this, it is essential to promote the inclusion of women and to detect their needs, based on their experiences and perspectives, for sustainable technological and systemic change [ 6 , 7 ].…”

“…Moreover, the female gender in the rural world has been historically invisible and discriminated against in all areas with unequal treatment [ 6 ]. Due to this, it is essential to promote the inclusion of women and to detect their needs, based on their experiences and perspectives, for sustainable technological and systemic change [ 6 , 7 ].…”

“…In this context, understanding gender roles is important for identifying effective support for local development, since men and women have different approaches to technological adoption in small-scale farms in developing countries, due to work division and cultural and social factors [ 6 , 12 ]. Furthermore, given the key role of women in agriculture, their inclusion and empowerment are fundamental requirements to achieve the well-being of rural communities.…”