Foreword to issue 62 of the Revista de Geografía Agrícola, regional studies of Mexican agriculture

Abstract

Issue 62 of the Revista de Geografía Agrícola (Journal of Agricultural Geography) showcases seven articles and reproduces a historical document on tomato cultivation in Fuerte, Sinaloa. As a whole, they adhere to the Journal’s objectives and editorial policy; thus, in the first three articles, the authors address different aspects of peasant agriculture, a fourth entails a technological analysis of a commercial crop and the rest have to do with problems related to planning, public policies and extensionism in Mexico. The paper “Agricultural land grabs and reconfiguration in Ixcanelco through socio-cultural practices” analyzes, from a territorial perspective, the introduction of commercial crops such as tobacco, citriculture and extensive cattle ranching and their effects on the territory’s reconfiguration, sustainability, economy and peasant practices. The authors conclude that, in the country’s rural environment, indigenous culture and the response of local actors are important for rescuing and reorienting territories that have been disrupted by technologies promoted by the federal government and transnational corporations; at the same time, they propose the use of agroforestry as a tool for that end and the rescue of socio-cultural dynamics.