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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Land, Livelihoods and Food Security
Volume 8 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1446965

Applying the Socio-ecological Systems Framework to Assess the Sustainability of Tropical Cattle Ranching in Mexico

Provisionally accepted
Daniela Figueroa Daniela Figueroa 1Leopoldo Galicia Leopoldo Galicia 2*Véronique Sophie Ávila Foucat Véronique Sophie Ávila Foucat 3Benito Díaz Morales Benito Díaz Morales 4
  • 1 Institute of Geology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, México, Mexico
  • 2 Institute of Geography, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico, Mexico
  • 3 Institute of Economic Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico City, Mexico
  • 4 Other, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The conceptual framework of socio-ecological systems (SES) has been used to redirect resource management practices towards more sustainable scenarios. Utilizing surveys conducted with 350 producers of a silvopastoral cattle network in southern Mexico, the structure and interactions of cattle SES were characterized. Furthermore, based on information derived from a workshop with producers, the framework was operationalized through variables representing action situations and generating outcomes in terms of management, organizational issues, and ecosystem services. This participatory exercise allowed for the identification of locally relevant sustainability components and ranges that can be generalized to other similar SES in Latin America, specific socio-ecological challenges, and potential actions leading to maximizing the sustainability of silvopastoral ranches in the tropics. Challenges include an excessive number of intermediaries, labor conditions accentuating poverty, marketing chains inaccessible to small scale producers, and low diversification. These issues can be addressed within the cattle SES through technical and financial support from involved governmental institutions and strengthening the local governance system. This work bridges gaps in cattle research by highlighting that sustainable intensification through the establishment of silvopastoral systems is possible within specific ranges, and sustainability can be defined, understood, and built by producers from the territories.

    Keywords: ecosystem services, grazing, Latin America, Livestock, Management, Silvopastoral Systems

    Received: 10 Jun 2024; Accepted: 19 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Figueroa, Galicia, Ávila Foucat and Díaz Morales. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Leopoldo Galicia, Institute of Geography, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico, Mexico

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.