The transition of agriculture towards sustainability faces significant obstacles, such as increased demand for food, food insecurity, climate variability, biodiversity loss, and food waste, among others. Moreover, agricultural activities must address ethical practices within sustainable development. The literature frequently mentions two approaches to meet these challenges: agroecology and sustainable agriculture. This study aims to delineate the conceptual boundaries of agroecology and sustainable agriculture while elucidating their interconnection. It seeks to clarify the scope and limitations inherent in these agricultural practices, which is critical given the centrality of sustainable agriculture in agrarian studies. By establishing these boundaries, the research outlines the methodologies to identify the relevant variables and indicators required for effective stakeholder engagement within agricultural systems. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA method. The databases searched were Science Direct, Scopus, Nature, and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria were (i) written in English or Spanish, (ii) published in a peer-reviewed academic journal, and (iii) related to the conceptualization of agroecology and sustainable agriculture. Publications were selected following the method’s identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion guidelines. The main distinctions between the concepts are the scale and the scope. Agroecology reveals limitations to achieving impacts on food security and agriculture’s challenges in a large-scale system better suited for rural communities and small farms seeking locally adapted solutions. On the other hand, the literature reveals that it is crucial to adopt a multi-scale systems approach to meet the growing food demands of the global population, for which sustainable agriculture may be more effective.

Objetivo: Presentar el estado del arte en investigaciones sobre los circuitos largos de consumo como elemento impulsor de la agroecología en México. Metodología: Se utilizaron cinco bases de datos para encontrar artículos publicados entre 2017 y 2023 con palabras clave como "circuitos largos de consumo" y "agroecología". Hallazgos teóricos y prácticos: Se obtuvo un análisis referencial sobre la relación de los circuitos largos y agroecología en el sistema maíz en México, destacando un vacío de investigación. Originalidad transdiscilinar desde el punto de vista de la innovación sostenible: Estudio reciente y actualizado que contribuye al estado del arte en la aplicación de la agroecología y los circuitos largos de consumo en sistemas productivos agrícolas para la sostenibilidad. Conclusiones y limitaciones. Se necesita más investigación sobre los circuitos largos de como herramienta para impulsar la eficiencia de sistemas agroecológicos a escala comercial. La literatura se enfoca principalmente en los circuitos cortos de comercialización, como una alternativa al sistema agroindustrial y como herramienta de desarrollo económico local y social sustentable.

Grain storage is vital for a country within a framework of food sovereignty and security. It helps stabilize markets, prices, and imbalances between supply and demand. In Mexico, public storage infrastructure is almost nonexistent, having been transferred to the private sector. The objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between public storage infrastructure and distribution problems that maize producers face in Mexico. A mixed-methods analysis procedure was implemented. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with small, medium, and large distributors, selected using the snowball sampling technique. The analysis identifies a positive association between references to storage infrastructure and distribution problems in the interview materials. Additionally, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was applied to the counts to strengthen the analysis. The results indicated a positive and significant relationship between the variables “storage infrastructure” and “distribution problems”, but also that, around the latter, there are others: lack of government support, price fixing, guaranteed price, insecurity, production costs, and inconveniences that require attention to stabilize the maize market. Inadequate infrastructure limits storage capacity, affects grain quality, increases costs, reduces producers’ bargaining power, and contributes to price volatility. It also impacts logistics, transportation, and marketing, especially in less developed regions. Evidence suggests that public storage infrastructure is a strategic element for food security; however, its concentration and predominantly private nature generate territorial inequalities.