Agroecology and systems analysis for sustainable agriculture

Santiago Lopez-Ridaura (2022)

Article

Multi-Criteria Tradeoffs Synergies CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGROECOLOGY INDICATORS SUSTAINABILITY FARMING SYSTEMS

Multicriteria assessment of alternative cropping systems at farm level. A case with maize on family farms of South East Asia

Santiago Lopez-Ridaura (2023)

CONTEXT: Integration of farms into markets with adoption of maize as a cash crop can significantly increase income of farms of the developing world. However, in some cases, the income generated may still be very low and maize production may also have strong negative environmental and social impacts. OBJECTIVE: Maize production in northern Laos is taken as a case to study how far can farms' performance be improved with improved crop management of maize with the following changes at field level: good timing and optimal soil preparation and sowing, allowing optimal crop establishment and low weed infestation. METHODS: We compared different farm types' performance on locally relevant criteria and indicators embodying the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic and social). An integrated assessment approach was combined with direct measurement of indicators in farmers' fields to assess eleven criteria of local farm sustainability. A bio-economic farm model was used for scenario assessment in which changes in crop management and the economic environment of farms were compared to present situation. The farm model was based on mathematical programming maximizing income under constraints related to i) household composition, initial cash and rice stocks and land type, and ii) seasonal balances of cash, labour and food. The crop management scenarios were built based on a diagnosis of the causes of variations in the agronomic and environmental performances of cropping systems, carried out in farmers' fields. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that moderate changes in crop management on maize would improve substantially farm performance on 4 to 6 criteria out of the 11 assessed, depending on farm types. The improved crop management of maize had a high economic attractiveness for every farm type simulated (low, medium and high resource endowed farms) even at simulated production costs more than doubling current costs of farmers' practices. However, while an improvement of the systems performance was attained in terms of agricultural productivity, income generation, work and ease of work, herbicide leaching, improved soil quality and nitrogen balance, trade-offs were identified with other indicators such as erosion control and cash outflow needed at the beginning of the cropping season. SIGNIFICANCE: Using farm modelling for multicriteria assessment of current and improved maize cropping systems for contrasted farm types helped capture main opportunities and constraints on local farm sustainability, and assess the trade-offs that new options at field level may generate at farm level.

Article

Bio-Economic Farm Model Smallholder Farms CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CASH CROPS INDICATORS SMALLHOLDERS CROPPING SYSTEMS MAIZE

ANÁLISIS DE LA APTITUD RECREATIVA ORIENTADA A LA GESTIÓN AMBIENTAL DE LA PLAYA EL COCHÓRIT, SONORA, MÉXICO

GISELA GARCIA MORALES PEDRO ROSALES GRANO Gustavo Padilla Jose Alfredo Arreola Lizárraga Jaqueline García Hernández Alfredo Ortega Rubio Renato Arturo Mendoza Salgado (2017)

"La evaluación de la aptitud recreativa de playas es un asunto clave para diseñar estrategias de manejo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la aptitud recreativa y proponer una estrategia de manejo en la playa El Cochórit, municipio de Empalme, Sonora. La aptitud recreativa de la playa se evaluó con base en la percepción de los usuarios y en indicadores biofísicos. El valor estimado de la aptitud recreativa de la playa, según la percepción de los usuarios fue de 0.71 (medio) y con base en los indicadores biofísicos fue de 0.47 (medio). La aptitud recreativa de la playa requiere ser mejorada con atención prioritaria en: (1) inversión en infraestructura y servicios, (2) mantenimiento de limpieza, (3) implementación de programas de educación ambiental y (4) monitoreo anual de la calidad sanitaria del agua y de la arena. La estrategia de gestión ambiental debe considerar incluir a la playa El Cochórit en el Programa Playas Limpias de la Comisión Nacional del Agua con el propósito de orientar esfuerzos hacia su certificación como “playa limpia”."

"The assessment of recreational beaches fitness is a key issue to design management strategies. The aim of this work was to evaluate the recreational fitness and propose a management strategy for the Beach El Cochórit, municipality of Empalme, Sonora. The recreational beach fitness was evaluated based on the perception of users, as well as biophysical indicators. The estimated value of recreational suitability of the beach perceived by users was 0.71 (average) and based on the biophysical indicators was 0.47 (average). Fitness recreational beach needs to be improved focusing on: (1) investing in infrastructure and services, (2) maintaining cleanliness, (3) implementing environmental education programs and (4) monitoring annually the sanitary quality of water and sand. The environmental management strategy should consider including the beach El Cochorit in the Clean Beaches Program of the National Water Commission in order to address efforts towards the certification of “clean beach”."

Article

playas recreativas, manejo de playas, indicadores ambientales, percepción pública recreational beaches, management of beaches, environmental indicators, public perception CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y DEL ESPACIO GEOLOGÍA GEOLOGÍA AMBIENTAL GEOLOGÍA AMBIENTAL

Adecuación cultural de la vivienda: una propuesta de medición

Jesús Ricardo Salazar Judith Ley García (2022)

La adecuación cultural forma parte de las siete directrices internacionales que, según la Organización de las Naciones Unidas, debe poseer una vivienda para que se le considere adecuada. Sin embargo, evaluar el cumplimiento de esta directriz en las ciudades no es una tarea sencilla, dada la dificultad que representan su conceptualización y operacionalización. En este sentido, el objetivo del artículo es construir un concepto de adecuación cultural susceptible de medición a escala intraurbana. Para ello, se utilizó el enfoque de las capacidades como sustento teórico y el Índice de Desarrollo Humano como metodología análoga, lo que permitió proponer un Índice Sintético de Adecuación Cultural de la Vivienda que se aplicó en la evaluación de la ciudad de Mexicali, México. Como parte de los resultados, se identificó que los habitantes de más de la mitad del parque habitacional de Mexicali poseen pocas posibilidades de personalizar su vivienda conforme a sus repertorios culturales.

Article

Artículo

Cultural adequacy, Adequate housing, intra-urban indicators, capability approach adecuación cultural enfoque de las capacidades indicadores intraurbanos vivienda adecuada CIENCIAS SOCIALES CIENCIAS SOCIALES