Posibilidades para el desarrollo sostenible de la palmicultura en México: Experiencias y retos

Abstract

As part of the research entitled, �Local innovations: Sustainable Development and social articulation technology diffusion with oil palm growers in Mexico�, addressed the issue of the sustainability of the production of palm oil and its relationship with local innovation, referred to this type of innovation, based on local knowledge, is environmentally friendly, subject to local resources and a socio-cultural context, thereby complying with the principles of social, economic and environmental. In parallel with the identification of innovations and the local innovation system, and to assess the current sustainability of palm production systems in the State of Veracruz (Mexico), a work of field was developed, using sustainability indicators: i) productivity; ii) patterns and frequency of crop rotation; iii) the use of plant protection products; iv) impact on biodiversity; v) household income; vi) the pattern of crop growth and social impacts expressed on food security; and vii) conflicts over land use and job security. The methodology proposed is applicable to the Mexican case, because of the recent inclusion of agribusiness activity, which is new and transformative of the rural reality in the humid tropics of Mexico. In this document is recorded the advances in the analysis of sustainable palm cultivation in Mexico and, taking as a case study the State of Veracruz, which initially shows the options for sustainable development of a activity relatively new (14 years implementation), and its impact on the generation of innovations and changes in the culture of the region under study.