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Context <p>Agricultural expansion has significantly diminished tropical forests. Understanding how social-ecological processes impact local smallholder land-use decisions is critical for assessing the effectiveness of land-use policy initiatives and shaping long-term socio-environmental futures.</p> Objectives <p>Through a comparative analysis of two neighboring communities this research examines: 1) the land-use composition at farm-level, and 2) the social-ecological variables at three different scales: local (household factors), regional (biophysical factors), and national (institutional factors) that shape smallholders land-use decisions in an agro-forest frontier in Southern Mexico.</p> Methods <p>Drawing on farm-level data from semi-structured interviews we tested for differences in land-use composition across farms per community. Using a combination of qualitative analysis from ethnographic research, and generalized linear models we assessed the variables that influence smallholder land-use decisions.</p> Results <p>Seven distinct land-use types were identified: agriculture, pasture, primary forest, secondary forest, rubber, oil palm, and reforestation. The two communities differ in on-farm primary forest cover. We found that the following variables influence smallholders’ land-use decisions: 1) local-level: farm size, off-farm income, and diversity of income sources; 2) regional-level: soil quality; 3) institutional-level: some programs (Rubber, Oil palm, Reforestation) influence certain land-use decisions, while the relationship between some programs (PROCAMPO, PROGAN, PES) and certain land-use decisions was harder to evaluate.</p> Conclusions <p>We conclude that while making local land-use decisions, smallholders evaluate a number of social-ecological factors at various scales. This has important implications for the formulation of more tailored and contextual-based agricultural development and conservation policies that aim not only to accomplish specified land-use outcomes but also to improve farmers’ livelihoods.</p>

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Smallholder land-use decisions in a tropical agro-forest frontier in Southern Mexico

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月13日

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  • Carolina Berget,
  • Madelon Lohbeck,
  • Gerard Verschoor,
  • Eduardo García-Frapolli,
  • Frans Bongers,
  • Armando Navarrete-Segueda

摘要

Context

Agricultural expansion has significantly diminished tropical forests. Understanding how social-ecological processes impact local smallholder land-use decisions is critical for assessing the effectiveness of land-use policy initiatives and shaping long-term socio-environmental futures.

Objectives

Through a comparative analysis of two neighboring communities this research examines: 1) the land-use composition at farm-level, and 2) the social-ecological variables at three different scales: local (household factors), regional (biophysical factors), and national (institutional factors) that shape smallholders land-use decisions in an agro-forest frontier in Southern Mexico.

Methods

Drawing on farm-level data from semi-structured interviews we tested for differences in land-use composition across farms per community. Using a combination of qualitative analysis from ethnographic research, and generalized linear models we assessed the variables that influence smallholder land-use decisions.

Results

Seven distinct land-use types were identified: agriculture, pasture, primary forest, secondary forest, rubber, oil palm, and reforestation. The two communities differ in on-farm primary forest cover. We found that the following variables influence smallholders’ land-use decisions: 1) local-level: farm size, off-farm income, and diversity of income sources; 2) regional-level: soil quality; 3) institutional-level: some programs (Rubber, Oil palm, Reforestation) influence certain land-use decisions, while the relationship between some programs (PROCAMPO, PROGAN, PES) and certain land-use decisions was harder to evaluate.

Conclusions

We conclude that while making local land-use decisions, smallholders evaluate a number of social-ecological factors at various scales. This has important implications for the formulation of more tailored and contextual-based agricultural development and conservation policies that aim not only to accomplish specified land-use outcomes but also to improve farmers’ livelihoods.