The biocultural richness of Mexico is among the highest worldwide. A history of over 7000 years of agriculture, and a persistent tradition of peasant social resistance movements that climaxed during the agrarian revolution in the early 20th century, continued in the indigenous resistance in Chiapas leading to the Zapatista uprising in 1992, and continues to be expressed in present local and regional confrontations for the defense of territory. Scholars agree that agroecology conceptually includes ecological and agricultural scientific research activity, empirical practices applied for agriculture, and the nuclear goal of numerous rural social movements. What has not been sufficiently established is how these three spheres of agroecology interact with each other and what emergent synergies they generate. Taking as an example the production in Mexico of three key agricultural goods—maize, coffee, and honey—our paper briefly reviews the existing relations between knowledge generation, agroecological practices, and rural social processes. We conclude by reflecting on the role of agroecological research in the context of an agrarian sustainability committed to helping reduce social inequity, marginality, and exploitation, as much as reverting the severe deterioration of the natural environment: both common issues in contemporary Mexico.

The global socio-environmental crisis poses what is arguably the greatest challenge in the history of science. It has demanded an interdisciplinary effort in which thousands of scientists from around the world have rapidly articulated what is already recognized as a consolidated research field: Sustainability science [SS]. Considering the urgency of the matter, it is necessary to evaluate the progress so far achieved. How should this evaluation be carried out? This paper addresses this question taking into consideration some insights from the philosophy of science. In particular, it applies the conceptual framework developed by Thomas Kuhn to the study of scientific paradigms. It first reviews the development of SS, demonstrating that Kuhn’s model is followed step by step. The notion of problem-solving power is discussed as the main criterion for an evaluation of scientific paradigms. Next, several elements are presented suggesting that there is a general insufficiency of problem-solving power in SS. Furthermore, additional empirical data are considered early signs of a paradigm crisis. Subsequently, the way forward for SS is discussed. From Kuhn’s perspective, scientific progress is not only achieved by a steady accumulation of knowledge, but also by episodes of crises that precede radical qualitative leaps in which basic premises are modified. This paper concludes that the urgently needed progress in SS requires engaging in a critical revision of the fundamental claims upon which the field was constructed.

Agroecologists mainly work with producers from traditional cultures. Ethno-ecological studies conducted in recent decades, clearly demonstrate that the experience these cultures have accumulated can be defined as wisdom, formed as a complex integrating a set of beliefs that lead to a worldview (an ontological dimension), a repertoire of knowledge (an epistemological dimension), and a series of practices (a productive dimension). So far, agroecology has addressed two of these three dimensions interacting with traditional producers (the epistemological and productive dimensions) and, with few exceptions, has neglected the ontological dimension. This paper sets forth the thesis that the ontological perspective leads to spirituality, a theme that has been excluded. Recognizing and integrating spirituality into agroecological practice would reinforce agroecology as a socially and environmentally liberating activity, since it embraces key concepts such as Mother Earth and Harmonious Living (buen vivir, the indigenous principle of harmonizing with the whole of nature).

The use of birds as pets has been a historical tradition in Mexico since prehispanic times. It has survived through bird traders, called pajareros, which is a local name given to the trade (derived from pájaro, the Spanish word for bird). However, the trade of birds has not been sufficiently described; therefore, the goal of this paper is to analyze the bird trade in Mexico using the components of an ethnoecology scheme known as kosmos-corpus-praxis complex. Qualitative research techniques were used, including ethnographic immersion, participative research, and interviews of 79 pajareros in 22 localities in nine Mexican states. The activity of the pajareros occurs within their households, with each member having distinct roles. The roles involved in bird trading are capturing, acclimation, maintenance, and sale. Their assignment depends on gender, age, and residential location (rural or urban). Beyond their households, the pajareros are well organized in trade unions and are represented by a leader, who acts as an intermediate between them and the government officers who are involved in the authorization of federal permits. The pajareros use 96 species of birds, most of which are native to Mexico. Practicing the trade requires highly specific knowledge of the biology, ecology, habitat, nutrition, diseases, and behavior of the birds, as well as the abiotic components of their environment, such as climatology and geography. The cosmovision of pajarero households is embedded in their identity, making them proud of their trade. Our paper provides the first comprehensive description of the pajarero trade, showing evidence of local communitarian management in the places where the wild birds are captured.

During the last 2 decades, several studies have analyzed the theoretical and practical development of agroecology in different countries. In each country, the transition has followed different paths and paces. Using a detailed review of myriad sources, this article describes the evolution of agroecology in Mexico from 1920 to date. Our analysis was based on a set of indicators such as research teams, courses and degrees, publications, conferences, professional associations and unions, policies and laws, agricultural production, as well as social movements and resistances. We identified 5 main stages: a precursor stage (1920–1960), a foundational stage (1960–1980), an institutionalization stage (1980–2000), a deployment stage (2000–2018), and a scaling-up stage (2018–to date). The article discusses the importance of the role played by the current government in deploying and multiplying agroecological practices throughout the country. Given a history of over 7,000 years of agricultural practices, and a persistent tradition of small-scale farmer resistance movements that reached a peak during the agrarian revolution (1910–1917), in addition to the participation of small-scale producers in agroecologically oriented programs promoted by the current administration, the search for sustainable food systems in Mexico seems promising.

En el presente texto se analizan los factores que en poco más de un siglo propiciaron y condujeron la caficultura en Chiapas. Conforme las plantaciones de café se propagaron al interior del estado y, con base en los factores que hicieron esto posible, se presenta una periodización del desarrollo de la caficultura. Se muestra que la producción cafetalera es un proceso de evolución socioambiental, evidenciado por la transformación de las grandes fincas, de propietarios extranjeros y luego nacionales, a más de un centenar de empresas sociales o cooperativas, principalmente de propietarios indígenas que producen café en complejos sistemas agroforestales a escala familiar y que se articulan y organizan a distintos niveles. Esto demuestra un cambio en la manera de concebir la producción cafetalera. Si al principio ésta estaba dirigida hacia la rentabilidad económica promovida a través de la especialización, la dependencia tecnológica y la exportación del producto, dejando así una profunda huella en el paisaje, entrado el siglo XXI, la racionalidad productiva comenzó a tomar el rumbo hacia la sustentabilidad. Lo anterior se debe, en parte, a una combinación del mercado, la diversificación productiva, la no dependencia de insumos externos y la producción a pequeña escala. Se trata de un cambio afín con las sabidurías tradicionales y a contracorriente de la globalización dominante. Esto es, un fenómeno de evolución social y ambiental derivado de una histórica resistencia biocultural.