Since 2010, the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) mechanism has been implemented in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, a biodiversity hotspot with persistent deforestation problems. We apply the before-after-control-intervention approach and quasi-experimental methods to evaluate the effectiveness of REDD+ interventions in reducing deforestation at municipal (meso) and community (micro) scales. Difference-in-differences regression and propensity score matching did not show an overall reduction in forest cover loss from REDD+ projects at both scales. However, Synthetic Control Method (SCM) analyses demonstrated mixed REDD+ effectiveness among intervened municipalities and communities. Funding agencies and number of REDD+ projects intervening in a municipality or community did not appear to affect REDD+ outcomes. However, cattle production and commercial agriculture land uses tended to impede REDD+ effectiveness. Cases of communities with important forestry enterprises exemplified reduced forest cover loss but not when cattle production was present. Communities and municipalities with negative REDD+ outcomes were notable along the southern region bordering Guatemala and Belize, a remote forest frontier fraught with illegal activities and socio-environmental conflicts. We hypothesize that strengthening community governance and organizational capacity results in REDD+ effectiveness. The observed successes and problems in intervened communities deserve closer examination for REDD+ future planning and development of strategies on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Community forest management (CFM) is often a field of encounter between knowledge systems, where a conventional forestry blueprint is frequently applied in contexts rich in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This is the case in Mexico, a bioculturally diverse country and a reference of community forestry. Based on a review of laws, policies, literature, and empirical examples, we explore technical, epistemological, political, and contextual dimensions associated with the inclusion and exclusion of TEK in CFM in Mexico. Our analysis is composed of three steps: (1) A diachronic analysis of how TEK and associated practices have been considered by federal forest laws and codes (1960–2018), (2) a diachronic analysis of the scope of conventional forestry and its evolution in time and space, and (3) situated examples illustrating the inclusion and exclusion of TEK in CFM. We argue that: (1) Legal recognition of TEK as a concept does not necessarily entail the legal recognition of all traditional management practices; (2) the inclusion of TEK in CFM is heterogeneous across communities, ecosystems, regions, products and historical trajectories; and (3) different traditional practices are not equally integrated in CFM: traditional practices that contradict the spatial segregation of activities (i.e., land sparing) favored by conventional forestry tend to be less easily accepted or ignored by government institutions.

Emisiones de carbono del aprovechamiento forestal selectivo en el sur de la Península de Yucatán, México

La cocina de México forma parte de su identidad alimentaria, es reconocida por la gran diversidad biocultural y por la convergencia de raíces indígenas y extranjeras. El objetivo de esta contribución fue catalogar especies condimentarias de origen americano utilizadas en la cocina mexicana y proponer una clasificación de sus formas de uso y consumo. Se realizó una recopilación de datos a partir de bibliografía y consulta a la “Base de Datos Etnobotánicos de Plantas Útiles de México” del Jardín Botánico del Instituto de Biología, UNAM. Se catalogaron 256 especies, 218 son silvestres y de ellas, 50 son endémicas de México, 5 están reguladas en la NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010. La estructura vegetal más mencionada fue la hoja (145) y la forma biológica fueron las hierbas (118). Los condimentos se clasificaron en 3 grupos: a) aditivos (193 especies) divididos en colorantes, sales, edulcorantes y otros diversos, y complejos (plantas que comparten nombre, olor y sabor similar), incluyen 8 formas de preparación de alimentos; b) materiales (66) divididos en envoltura de alimentos, envoltura de tamales, cubrimiento de hornos y leña; y c) condimentos comidos crudos (42) que acompañan y/o complementan alimentos.

Mulheres Campesinas Tecendo Redes de Soberania Alimentar em Tempos de Sindemia A pandemia da COVID-19 deve ser analisada como uma sindemia, resultante da interação entre doenças e macroprocessos políticos e socioeconômicos que afetam a soberania alimentar, principalmente das mulheres. Os movimentos camponeses propõem, como saída para a multicrise, a transformação do sistema alimentar, com base na soberania alimentar e nos princípios feministas. Neste artigo, utilizamos dados de uma investigação transdisciplinar e um relatório produzido por mulheres para orientar ações em relação a questões de gênero, COVID-19 e sistemas alimentares, como base para a análise de um caso particular no México: as iniciativas realizadas para enfrentar a síndrome do COVID-19 por mulheres cafeicultoras, feministas campesinas, em duas comunidades nas montanhas de Veracruz. O objetivo deste artigo é demonstrar que essas mulheres conseguiram fortalecer os laços de solidariedade em suas comunidades, de reciprocidade com a Mãe Terra e atenção integral à saúde por meio do fortalecimento de práticas ancestrais (coleta e troca) e novas ferramentas (autocuidado, círculos de cuidado e mídias digitais). Este artigo demonstra como os modos de vida dessas mulheres, sua criatividade e resiliência se materializam localmente, e assim propõe a construção de uma outra narrativa sobre as mulheres rurais. Palavras-chave: agroecologia, coleta, troca, saúde integral, feminismo campesino e popular. Mujeres campesinas tejiendo redes de soberanía alimentaria en tiempo de Sindemia RESUMEN. La pandemia de COVID-19 debe ser analizada como una sindemia, resultante de la interacción entre enfermedades y macroprocesos políticos y socioeconómicos que afectan a la soberanía alimentaria, principalmente de las mujeres. Los movimientos campesinos plantean, como salida a las multi-crisis, la transformación del sistema alimentario, basado en la soberanía alimentaria y en los principios feministas. En este artículo, utilizamos datos de una investigación transdisciplinaria y un informe producido por mujeres para orientar acciones en relación con cuestiones de género, la COVID-19 y los sistemas alimentarios, como base para el análisis de un caso particular en México: las iniciativas llevadas a cabo para el enfrentamiento de la sindemia de COVID-19 por mujeres cafetaleras, feministas campesinas, en dos comunidades de las montañas de Veracruz. El objetivo de este artículo es demostrar que estas mujeres han logrado fortalecer los vínculos de solidaridad en sus comunidades, de reciprocidad con la Madre Tierra y de cuidado de la salud integral a través del fortalecimiento de prácticas ancestrales (recolecta y trueque), y de nuevas herramientas (círculos de autocuidado y medios digitales). Este artículo demuestra cómo las formas de vida de estas mujeres, su creatividad y resiliencia se materializan localmente, y así proponen la construcción de otra narrativa por y sobre las mujeres campesinas. Palabras clave: agroecología, trueque, recolecta, salud integral, feminismo campesino y popular. Peasant Women Weaving Food Sovereignty Networks in Syndemic Times The COVID-19 pandemic must be analyzed as a syndemic, resulting from the interaction between diseases and political and socioeconomic macro-processes that affect food sovereignty, mainly of women. The peasant movements propose, as a way out of the multi-crises, the transformation of the food system, based on food sovereignty and feminist principles. In this article, we use data from a transdisciplinary investigation and a report produced by women to guide actions in relation to gender issues, COVID-19 and food systems, as a basis for the analysis of a particular case in Mexico: the initiatives carried out to confront the COVID-19 syndemic by coffee-growing women, peasant and popular feminists, in two communities in the mountains of Veracruz. The objective of this article is to demonstrate that these women have managed to strengthen the bonds of solidarity in their communities, of reciprocity with Mother Earth and comprehensive health care through the strengthening of ancestral practices (plant gathering and barter), and new tools (self-care circles and digital media). This article demonstrates how the ways of life of these women, their creativity and resilience materialize locally, and thus proposes the construction of another narrative by and about peasant women. Keywords: agroecology, barter, plant gathering, integral health, popular peasant feminism.