Sustainability evaluation of contrasting milpa systems in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Santiago Lopez-Ridaura Tania Carolina Camacho Villa (2023, [Artículo])

The milpa agroecosystem is an intercropping of maize, beans, squash and other crops, developed in Mesoamerica, and its adoption is widely variable across climates and regions. An example of particular interest is the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, which holds highly diverse milpas, drawing on ancestral Mayan knowledge. Traditional milpas have been described as sustainable resource management models, based on long rotations within a slash-and-burn cycle in forest areas. Nevertheless, due to modernization and intensification processes, new variants of the approach have appeared. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sustainability of three milpa systems (traditional, continuous, and mechanized) in four case studies across the Peninsula, with emphasis on food self-sufficiency, social inclusion and adoption of innovations promoted by a development project. The Framework for the Evaluation of Agroecosystems using Indicators (MESMIS, for its Spanish acronym) was used for its flexible, participatory approach. A common group of indicators was developed despite regional differences between study cases, with a high level of farmer participation throughout the iterative process. The results show lower crop yields in traditional systems, but with lower inputs costs and pesticide use. In contrast, continuous milpas had higher value in terms of crop diversity, food security, social inclusion, and innovation adoption. Mechanized milpas had lower weed control costs. Profitability of cash crops and the proportion of forest were high in all systems. Highly adopted innovations across milpa types and study cases included spatial crop arrangement and the use of residues as mulches. However, most innovations are not adapted to local conditions, and do not address climate change. Further, women and youth participation is low, especially in traditional systems.

Milpa Intensification Processes Women and Youth Participation CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SUSTAINABILITY INTERCROPPING FOOD SECURITY INNOVATION SOCIAL INCLUSION AGROECOSYSTEMS CASE STUDIES

The Scaling Scan: A practical tool to determine opportunities and challenges to sustainably scale innovations

Lennart Woltering (2023, [Libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA INNOVATION ADOPTION SOCIAL INCLUSION ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SCALING UP

Maize seed aid and seed systems development: Opportunities for synergies in Uganda

Jason Donovan Rachel Voss Pieter Rutsaert (2024, [Artículo])

In the name of food security, governments and NGOs purchase large volumes of maize seed in non-relief situations to provide at reduced or no cost to producers. At the same time, efforts to build formal maize seed systems have been frustrated by slow turnover rates – the dominance of older seed products in the market over newer, higher performing ones. Under certain conditions, governments and NGO seed aid purchases can support formal seed systems development in three ways: i) support increased producer awareness of new products, ii) support local private seed industry development, and iii) advance equity goals by targeting aid to the most vulnerable of producers who lack the capacity to purchase seeds. This study explores the objectives and activities of seed aid programmes in Uganda and their interactions with the maize seed sector. We draw insights from interviews with representatives of seed companies, NGOs and government agencies, as well as focus group discussions with producers. The findings indicated that seed aid programme objectives are largely disconnected from broader seed systems development goals. There is little evidence of public-private collaboration in design of these programmes. Better designed programs have the potential to align with varietal turnover objectives, commercial sector development and targeting of underserved markets could promote equity and ‘crowd in’ demand.

Seed Business Varietal Turnover Seed Aid CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SEED SEED SYSTEMS SOCIAL INCLUSION MAIZE

The Scaling Scan: Un outil pratique pour déterminer les opportunités et les défis liés à la mise à l’échelle soutenible des innovations

Lennart Woltering (2023, [Libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA INNOVATION ADOPTION SOCIAL INCLUSION ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SCALING UP

Innovative approaches to integrating gender into conventional maize breeding: lessons from the Seed Production Technology for Africa project

Rachel Voss Jill Cairns Michael Olsen Esnath Tatenda Hamadziripi (2023, [Artículo])

The integration of gender concerns in crop breeding programs aims to improve the suitability and appeal of new varieties to both women and men, in response to concerns about unequal adoption of improved seed. However, few conventional breeding programs have sought to center social inclusion concerns. This community case study documents efforts to integrate gender into the maize-focused Seed Production Technology for Africa (SPTA) project using innovation history analysis drawing on project documents and the authors’ experiences. These efforts included deliberate exploration of potential gendered impacts of project technologies and innovations in the project’s approach to variety evaluation, culminating in the use of decentralized on-farm trials using the tricot approach. Through this case study, we illustrate the power of active and respectful collaborations between breeders and social scientists, spurred by donor mandates to address gender and social inclusion. Gender integration in this case was further facilitated by open-minded project leaders and allocation of funding for gender research. SPTA proved to be fertile ground for experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration around gender and maize breeding, and has provided proof of concept for larger breeding projects seeking to integrate gender considerations.

Crop Breeding On-Farm Trials Tricot CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA GENDER CROPS BREEDING ON-FARM RESEARCH SOCIAL INCLUSION CITIZEN SCIENCE MAIZE

The Scaling Scan: Una herramienta práctica para determinar oportunidades y desafíos para escalar innovaciones de manera sostenible

Lennart Woltering (2023, [Libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA INNOVATION ADOPTION SOCIAL INCLUSION ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SCALING UP

Agricultural value chains in Sudan: an annotated bibliography

Hugo De Groote Paswel Marenya (2023, [Libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS CASH CROPS FOOD CROPS LIVESTOCK SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS GENDER SOCIAL INCLUSION POSTHARVEST LOSSES BIBLIOGRAPHIES

MÁS ALLÁ DE LA RAZÓN OYENTE: COMUNIDAD SORDA Y PLURALIDAD EN LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO

Gabriel Tolentino Tapia (2023, [Tesis de doctorado])

“Ubicado en el centro de la Ciudad de México, el Templo de San Hipólito es un sitio católico que históricamente, desde inicios del siglo XX, ha dado cabida a las personas Sordas. En el lugar se privilegia la comunicación en Lengua de Señas Mexicana (LSM. Por lo tanto, no se promueve la re-habilitación auditiva y oral. Pese al predominio de la LSM, se reconocen y aceptan todas las diferencias individuales: hay personas sordas que aprendieron a leer los labios, están oralizadas, saben leer y escribir español o utilizan algún dispositivo tecnológico para escuchar: implante coclear o aparato auditivo. Por las cualidades del sitio, el móvil principal que reúne a los sordos es religioso, aunque no es el único. En su interior también se realizan actividades de regularización escolar de estudiantes sordos de nivel básico, se ofrecen cursos de LSM y continuamente hay celebraciones de todo tipo, tanto religiosas como <sociales> conmemoración del Día de las personas Sordas (28 de noviembre), festejo de cumpleaños, recibimiento de religiosos de otras regiones del mundo o celebraciones por el día del amor y la amistad, de las madres, de la niñez y así sucesivamente. Teniendo en cuenta las características descritas, poco común es organizar eventos de orientación clínica o de rehabilitación. Durante mi estancia de un año haciendo trabajo de campo, sólo se llevó a cabo una plática impartida por una especialista en audiología. Zara, hija de de padre y madre sordos, quien gestiona los cursos de LSM y de regulación educativa para niños, sabía por amplia experiencia que el enfoque médico no siempre responde adecuadamente a la falta de audición y promoción de la oralización, sin embargo, consideró que tal vez el evento podría ser de ayuda para alguien”.

Sordos - México - Ciudad de México. Sordos - Educación - México - Ciudad de México. Lengua de Señas Mexicana - Estudio y enseñanza. Sordera - Aspectos psicológicos. Ayudas auditivas. Personas con discapacidades - México - Ciudad de México. Inclusión social. Tesis - Doctorado en Antropología, CDMX. CIENCIAS SOCIALES SOCIOLOGÍA PROBLEMAS SOCIALES CALIDAD DE VIDA CALIDAD DE VIDA

Distance learning for farmers: Experience during the pandemic

Andrea Gardeazabal (2023, [Documento de trabajo])

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of farmer training—a crucial component for enhancing the resilience and livelihoods of smallholder farmers—CIMMYT innovated educational solutions to sustain capacity building in agri-food systems. Addressing the challenges of limited mobile device access, poor internet connectivity, and digital illiteracy, CIMMYT implemented two pilot projects in Mexico. These projects facilitated distance learning for adult farmers in rural areas, employing both internet-based and non-internet methods. The non-internet approach utilized traditional media like print, while the internet-based approach leveraged WhatsApp for educational content delivery. Building on these experiences, CIMMYT expanded its offerings by creating micro -courses delivered through WhatsApp, hosted on the Co-LAB's new Learning Network platform, specifically targeting farmers. This paper delves into the various strategies, methods, and techniques adopted, documenting the learning outcomes, results, and key conclusions drawn from these innovative training initiatives.

Distance Learning Digital Inclusion Innovative Training CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DISTANCE EDUCATION CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT METHODS COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Capacitación docente sobre la narración inclusiva de un cuento musical para promover prácticas alfabetizadoras

JUAN GUERRERO VILLANUEVA (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

Las actividades alfabetizadoras son prácticas sociales y culturales que se pueden

desarrollar tanto en el círculo familiar como en la comunidad. La lectura de cuentos

musicales en niños de preescolar y primaria es de gran influencia para el desarrollo de

la alfabetización inicial. La educación inclusiva busca generar igualdad de oportunidades

para todos mediante la eliminación de las barreras arquitectónicas, sociales, normativas

o culturales. Así mismo, los docentes han sido reconocidos como el centro de cualquier

estrategia para la mejora de la calidad educativa, por lo que es importante la capacitación

de docentes de nuevas formas didácticas para el desarrollo de la alfabetización inicial de

una manera inclusiva, para el acceso de todas y todos los niños. Objetivo: implementar

una capacitación basada en la narración inclusiva de un cuento musical para promover

prácticas alfabetizadoras en docentes de preescolar y primaria. Método: se realizó un

diseño preexperimental pretest, postest de un solo grupo, participaron 45 docentes que

imparten clases en preescolar y 1° de primaria; el muestreo fue no probabilístico por

conveniencia. Se aplicó el “Cuestionario virtual sobre las precurrentes de lectoescritura

y lectura de cuentos inclusivos en educación básica”, con 69 ítems con un alfa de 0.96.

Se impartieron 6 sesiones de 2 horas cada una. Los participantes mostraron mejoras

significativas en todas las dimensiones del cuestionario, siendo la dimensión de mayor

cambio la de alfabetización inicial y las dificultades para el aprendizaje y lenguaje.

Conclusiones: la capacitación de formación para la narración de un cuento musical

inclusivo puede ser una novedosa estrategia, con un enfoque inclusivo, para promover

prácticas alfabetizadoras en docentes de preescolar y primaria.

HUMANIDADES Y CIENCIAS DE LA CONDUCTA LINGÜÍSTICA alfabetización inicial, cuento musical, inclusión, capacitación.