Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Objective: To analyze the meanings and practices associated with the right to food at Rural School No. 98 in Colonia Damon, considering the material and immaterial conditions that influence daily exercise. This study approaches the right to food as a dynamic process that transcends biological needs, incorporating social, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Methodology: A qualitative and exploratory approach, grounded in the social representations theory. Group workshops were conducted with schoolchildren to capture their experiences and perceptions related to food. Results: The educational role of the school vegetable garden and canteen in promoting the right to food was highlighted. Food representations were closely linked to commensality, cultural preferences, and the value placed on local foods such as raw cow's milk. A disconnection was observed with the dietary norms of the medical-nutritional model, with greater emphasis placed on the sensory qualities of food. Self-production of fruits and vegetables, along with knowledge of agricultural processes, strengthened children’s connection to the land and food sovereignty. Limitations: The study focused exclusively on a specific rural context. Conclusions: Integrating local knowledge and fostering family collaboration are essential for a holistic understanding of the right to food in rural environments.

Objective: Analyze the historical evolution, current status, and development potential of aquaculture in Baja California Sur, identifying key challenges and opportunities for its growth. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining secondary data analysis from CONAPESCA, SAGARPA, and INEGI with semi-structured interviews with producers, academics, and government officials. The qualitative data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti software, applying content analysis and qualitative coding to identify key patterns. Results: indicate that the main barriers to aquaculture development in the region include limited access to financing, deficient infrastructure, and inefficient regulation. However, advantages such as favorable environmental conditions and the increasing demand for sustainable aquaculture products were also identified. Limitations: This study focuses exclusively on Baja California Sur, which may restrict the generalization of findings to other regions. Conclusions: strengthening the aquaculture sector in the region requires improving access to financing, enhancing infrastructure, and optimizing regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, the implementation of public policies that promote species diversification and technical training is recommended to foster sustainable aquaculture development.

Objective: To identify vertical structural gaps that are occurring in four municipalities belonging to the Microregion of Priority Attention (MAP) Angostillo in the state of Veracruz. Methodology. Using the structural gaps approach proposed by ECLAC, eighteen indicators were integrated to evaluate and compare social, economic and territorial gaps in the study area. Results: The municipality of Puente Nacional has the lowest development in eleven indicators; this municipality should pay special attention to developing urban infrastructure and improving the food conditions of its inhabitants. Paso de Ovejas is the municipality with the best results. Limitations: The study is based almost exclusively on public data from government institutions and does not explore residents' perceptions, cultural dynamics, local governance, or socio- political conflicts that could explain why these inequalities persist. In Mexico, CONEVAL in charge of measuring poverty, establishing the concept of multidimensional poverty; another methodology is the structural gaps approach proposed by ECLAC and takes into account territorial heterogeneity in terms of development. Conclusions: The structural gaps methodology gives us an idea of the approach to be taken by each of the municipalities under study. Management should focus on improving the economic conditions of the rural population, promoting and supporting programs that encourage environmental care and prioritizing territorial planning processes in urban areas.

Objective: Conduct a diachronic analysis in order to understand the historical development of melipona honey production and its adaptation process in the global context, focusing on the organizational dynamics and role played by Indigenous Maya women in the permanence and strengthening of meliponiculture. Methodology: Ethnographic case study from a diachronic perspective of the relationship between humans and bees. Results: Preliminary results suggest that the continuity of meliponiculture and the knowledge associated with it among peninsular Mayas intertwines with forces and interests of the globalized world that pose a threat to its epistemological and axiological axes. Limitations: The analysis is based on a case study involving a collective of indigenous women, the most emblematic in the region due to its continuity and innovation into the production of bees’ subproducts. However, it is a significant example of the current state of melipona honey production in the region. Conclusions: Some factors contribute to the continuity of meliponiculture in the region; however, this occurs within an ecotone between tradition and modernity. Thus, while the emergence and consolidation of the Mak Jobon collective provides evidence of the role women play in the continuity of traditional practices and knowledge, they also face challenges derived from external influences that undermine the value system that underpins their biocultural heritage.

Objective: To describe the impact of logistical disruptions on businesses in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, resulting from frequent blockages of transportation and communication routes. Methodology: Sixty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with companies located in three municipalities in the state of Oaxaca to examine the effects of these blockades on business operations and to identify the strategies employed to mitigate their consequences. Results: The findings indicate that companies experience significant adverse effects, including increased operational costs, a decline in service quality, deterioration in supplier relationships, and heightened operational risks that undermine their competitiveness. In response, many firms adopt reactive resilience strategies, such as maintaining higher inventory levels. Limitations: Given its exploratory nature, this study recommends broadening the sample size and extending the geographical scope in future research to enhance the generalizability of the findings. Conclusions: The recurrent blockades pose a serious threat to the competitiveness of firms operating in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and hinder regional economic development. The involvement of the federal government is essential in formulating and implementing public policies aimed at strengthening the managerial capacities of firms and preventing the recurrence of such disruptions.

Objective: to analyze dietary diversity at home, food availability in the university environment, and the eating habits of university students. Methodology: a quantitative-descriptive approach was employed, using a food frequency questionnaire administered to 299 university students selected through simple random sampling. Participants were asked to report their consumption for a typical week, both at home and at university. The Food Consumption and Diversity Score (FCDS) was used to classify eating habits into three levels: acceptable, borderline, and poor. Additionally, an analysis of the food supply on campus and in the surrounding area was conducted. Results: 30% of university students had a poor diet, 49% were borderline, and only 21% had an acceptable diet. Limited consumption of fruits, vegetables, and legumes was identified, with a predominance of cereals, sugars, and foods of animal origin. Ultra-processed products and fast food predominated in the university food supply. Limitations: the study focused on a single university, so it is recommended that it be extended to other contexts. Conclusions: students' eating habits reveal nutritional deficiencies that are influenced by economic factors and food availability, both within the university environment and at home.

Objective: To estimate a food insecurity index from the perspective of sustainability for the federal entities of Mexico. Methodology: Principal Component Analysis and clustering were employed using the R software version 4.4.0. The information, corresponding to the period 2019-2023, includes 32 observations for each of the analyzed dimensions of food insecurity at the federal entity level. The main factors that contribute to the understanding of food insecurity were considered. Results: A certain discrepancy is reflected with respect to the results of food insecurity shown by the Mexican Food Security Scale, evidencing as most relevant variables urbanization, female labor participation, establishments that offer unhealthy food, dependence on food imports, environmental degradation, economic globalization and violence. Limitation: The availability of information at the state level for some of the dimensions analyzed. Conclusion: The complexity present in the understanding of food insecurity from the perspective of sustainability can be perceived; yet this is a useful approach that accounts for the connections between society, ecological systems, politics and the economy that sustain food systems in the long term, highlighting structural trends not adequately integrated in current measurements.

Objective: This research analyzed how water scarcity impacts food production in backyard gardens, recognizing the material, economic, and social problems that hinder their sustainability. Methodology: The study was conducted in the Cienega of Chapala region of Michoacán, Mexico, and focused on the situation of backyard gardens. A questionnaire was administered to 100 heads of households. In-depth interviews were also conducted with those responsible for garden management, and direct observations and field visits were conducted during the 2023–2024 period. Results: The results show how water scarcity and the reduction in growing space, especially among younger generations, are shaping a scenario of transformation rather than the disappearance of family gardens. Community strategies for water supply, such as rainwater harvesting and domestic water recycling, demonstrate an adaptive capacity in the face of adverse conditions. Limitations: This study focused on the Cienega of Chapala region, which may limit the generalizability of the results. However, the identified elements and observed supply strategies are potentially replicable in other rural contexts with similar conditions. Conclusions: Rather than a definitive disappearance, family gardens demonstrate remarkable flexibility in the face of changing conditions, especially in contexts of water scarcity.

Objective: To analyze the sustainability of the fruit tree component in Agroforestry Systems (AFS), as well as their limitations and potential, to understand the relationship between social and natural dynamics. Methodology: Information was collected through field transects and a survey of 81 producers. Three dimensions (environmental, economic, and sociocultural) were used, comprising 21 indicators on a scale where zero is the lowest and 4 the highest sustainability value. The General Sustainability Index (GSI) was calculated. Results: In Calpan, AFS are made up of different components, where corn is the main crop, combined with fruit trees such as hawthorn, capulin, peach, and pear, so 81 systems with these characteristics were evaluated at random. An average value of 2.59 was obtained for the environmental dimension, 2.94 for the economic dimension, and 2.14 for the sociocultural dimension, which meant that they are economically strengthened and vulnerable in the sociocultural dimension. The GSI was 2.56. Limitations: the complexity of analyzing social data. Conclusions: The agroforestry systems in this area are highly sustainable.

Border studies have moved from being solely concerned with layout, demarcation, and location to focusing on territorial social reproduction practices and the dichotomous or convergent expressions of cooperation/integration versus conflict dynamics.