Geographical Indications (GI) have been used in several countries, mainly in Europe, as tools to promote territorial development. These tools have been adopted in Latin American countries without serious reflection on their scope, limits, and advantages. One of the most relevant elements therein corresponds to the way in which these assets participate in value chains, whether short or long, which has important implications for governance, benefit distribution, geographic organization of value accumulation processes, among others. With that in mind, we identify the two most relevant Mexican GIs—namely Designation of Origin Tequila (DOT) and Designation of Origin Mezcal (DOM)—to analyze how their value chains have been constructed and their impact on territorial development. We conclude that GIs tend to adopt large value chains to satisfy long-distance demand, but they can have negative territorial effects if institutions are not strong enough to appropriately incorporate territorial stakeholders’ demands.

The impact that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have on the health status of the population has generated the need for an in-depth analysis of health habits and NCDs. In addition to its significant impact on population health, this phenomenon also translates into substantial economic consequences for countries. This study delves into the analysis of the relationship between health habits and NCDs among the economically active population of Mexico. Through a hybrid approach that integrates the use of machine learning (ML) models and a structural equation model (SEM), we seek to quantify the direct and indirect causal effects between health habits and NCDs. For this study, information from the 2022 National Health and Nutrition Survey carried out in Mexico for the working-age population is used. According to the results obtained in the first stage of analysis using ML, the most relevant variables (health habits) that impact the probability of individuals presenting with NCDs were identified (random forest precision of 78.66% and Lasso with 71.27%). The second stage of analysis through SEM using the most relevant variables, which were selected through ML, allowed us to measure the direct and indirect causal effect of health habits on NCDs. The SEM model was statistically significant (Chi-square: 449.186; p-value = 0.0000) and revealed that negative health habits, such as a poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking and alcohol consumption, significantly increase the risk of NCDs in the working-age population in Mexico (0.23), while vigorous physical activity and salary has a negative impact (−0.17 and −0.23, respectively) on the presence of NCDs. This study highlights the ability of machine learning and SEM approaches to model the impact of health habits on NCDs for the economically active population in Mexico.

This study examines the relationship between financial education and the development of SFSCs in vulnerable communities in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia—a connection rarely addressed in the literature. Using a qualitative methodology, the research involved in-depth interviews with cocoa producers in Esmeraldas (Ecuador), banana by-product producers in Condorcanqui (Peru), and blackberry producers in Cauca (Colombia). The findings reveal that financial education—tailored to the cultural and productive context of each community—strengthened chain internal governance, understood as producers’ capacity to organize, manage, and make collective decisions around shared values. Key outcomes include improved resource management, expense control, productive investment, responsible access to and use of credit, and enhanced planning and commercial negotiation skills. These capabilities enabled producers to reduce intermediaries, access better markets, innovate products and processes, and improve both economic and social conditions. The three experiences overcame typical governance challenges in SFSCs—such as structural uncertainty, small scale, and lack of coordination—through business planning, local associations, and partnerships with universities, companies, and NGOs. Nevertheless, limitations remain, including regulatory barriers, insufficient government support, and shortages of key infrastructure. The study highlights financial education as a potentially relevant, yet underexamined, dimension of internal governance in SFSCs, contributing to ongoing debates on resilience, hybrid supply chain participation, and rural development in Latin America.

Valorization of territories with diverse cultures and heritage has multiplied in recent years. This study analyzes the case of colored heirloom corn in Tlaxcala, Mexico, as a potential public good associated with the region’s biocultural heritage. The analysis conducted herein relies on a wide range of literature from relevant theory, including Geographical Indications, Global Value Chains, Community-Based Entrepreneurship, Public Goods, and Sustainable Development, in order to employ case study methodology. We leverage a novel approach to analyze the heirloom corn chain and its publicness. This chain reveals its status as a potential public good that clearly influences biocultural heritage, which has been preserved by several generations. To preserve colored heirloom corn in Tlaxcala, Mexico, a development strategy is needed that links actors and resources, involves the public sector, and furthers expansion of the private sector.

The aim of this paper is to present the results of an impact evaluation of a community center in health, capacity building, and digital access, which form an approximation of quality of life, in the population of Santa Fe town in Mexico City, from 2022 to 2024. The methodology is quantitative, using an impact index and the differences in differences (DD) technique. The data were obtained from primary sources with surveys undertaken via questionnaires. The center is operated by a private university and funded by private firms. The results show a positive impact of 0.287127 out of 1 on the weighted impact index, which allows us to consider this program successful in improving the quality of life of the target population. Through impact evaluation, the effectiveness of interventions and opportunities for improvement are identified, fostering collaboration among local actors, including community members, state-run public programs, and community centers. This collaborative effort improves the quality of life, creating a sustainable community wherein each actor addresses specific needs. Impact evaluation plays a crucial role in measuring sustainability because it is a continuous improvement process that, when combined with other actions, enhances the community’s overall well-being.