Ecological-economic model for integrated watershed management in Tonameca, Oaxaca, Mexico

An ecological-economic model is presented for linking the production function approach to existing food web models, such as ECOPATH, in order to identify optimal management strategies for watersheds. The model is applied to the Tonameca watershed, located on the coast of Oaxaca in Mexico. The model is an ecological diagnosis linked to agriculture, fisheries and ecotourism and production functions and profits. Social optimization and externalities are also analysed. The ecological results show that the Tonameca river and lagoon are not extremely polluted and only one scenario of nitrogen run-off estimation indicates high levels of nutrient loading. The mangrove food web analysis results show that the ecosystem is healthy and can support large amounts of nitrogen in water. The agriculture production function and profits depend mainly on water extraction and fertilizer use. Fisheries production function and profits depend on fish biomass and nitrogen concentration in water, which in turn is a measure of fertilizer used in agriculture. Ecotourism production and profits are a function of labour and crocodile biomass related to fish biomass and nitrogen concentration in water. The increase of fertilizer use influences positively in a short term the economic activities but not in a long term. The optimum levels of each activity are evaluated as well as the optimum point of nitrogen run-off for avoiding a negative externality from agriculture to fisheries and ecotourism. Finally, management recommendations for the Tonameca watershed are proposed based on the Mexican framework for coastal and watershed management

Climate change adaptation and its effects on the economy of the rural Mexican household food producers

This article analyzes the possible impacts of the climate change (CC) and its adaptation measures on the maize trade surplus/deficit, on the production, and on the real income of households established in rural Mexico. The analysis is based on an Applied and Microeconomic General Equilibrium Model and on the estimates of the direct effects of CC on maize yields obtained from the related literature. The results show that climate change will reduce the real rural income by 6.23% and will affect corn production to the extent that the area will change from being a surplus to a deficit. In addition, it is found that while the adaptation measures analyzed in the paper will help to reduce the negative effects of the phenomenon, they will not completely eliminate them.   Adaptación al cambio climático y sus efectos en la economía de los hogares rurales mexicanos productores de alimentos ABSTRACT En este artículo, se analizan los posibles impactos del Cambio Climático (CC) y de sus medidas de adaptación en el superávit/déficit comercial del maíz, en la producción y los ingresos reales de los hogares establecidos en la zona rural de México, a partir de un Modelo de Equilibrio General Aplicado y Microeconómico, y de estimaciones directas de los efectos del CC en los rendimientos del maíz obtenidas de la literatura relacionada. Los resultados encontrados muestran que el cambio climático reducirá el ingreso real rural en 6.23% y que afectará, en mayor medida, a la producción de maíz, al grado que la zona pasará de ser superavitaria a deficitaria. Además, se obtuvo que, si bien las medidas de adaptación analizadas ayudarán a reducir los efectos negativos del fenómeno, estas no los eliminarán totalmente

Cambio climático en el sector agropecuario

El programa se concentró en la presentación del Trigésimo Cuarto Seminario de Economía Agrícola, el cual se realizará del 07 al 09 de octubre de 2014 en el Instituto de investigaciones Económicas de la UNAM

Natural Resources and Productive Diversification in Four Rural Locations in Oaxaca, Mexico

En el trabajo se analiza la relación entre la diversificación productiva, incluyendo el ecoturismo, y el uso y la importancia de los recursos naturales, en cuatro localidades rurales de Oaxaca, México. Para ello se utilizan los resultados de una encuesta aplicada en 2014 a 209 hogares, de la cual se seleccionaron 16 variables de interés. Las etapas del estudio contemplan la descripción de las características socioeconómicas y ambientales de las localidades y el análisis en relación con la diversificación. Se confirma que, bajo condiciones similares, la diversificación y el aprovechamiento sustentable de recursos naturales constituyen prácticas cruciales en las estrategias de vida de los hogares.This work analyzes the relationship between productive diversification –including ecotourism– and the use and importance of natural resources in four rural locations in Oaxaca, Mexico. To do so, the findings from a survey applied to 209 households in 2014 were used and 16 significant variables were selected thereof. The study stages consist in the description of the socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the examined locations, and the diversification analysis. It is confirmed that, under similar conditions, both sustainable diversification and exploitation of the natural resources become crucial practices in the life strategies of the involved households

Estimating shadow prices in economies with multiple market failures.

Approaches to the estimation of shadow prices generally assume that all but one market function correctly. However, multiple market failures are common in developing countries. We present a theoretical model and an empirical strategy to estimate the shadow price of a subsistence good in an economy where labor markets fail. Our results show that: 1) among subsistence producers, the shadow price of this good must be greater than or equal to the market price, and equal to it for surplus growers; and 2) current methods create biases when the otherwise-perfect-markets assumption is violated. The propositions are tested using a representative survey for rural Mexico. We find that the shadow wage is below that of the market (MXN $93.2/day vs. MXN$132.3/day), and that the shadow price for subsistence corn is over ten times greater than its market price (MXN $32.37/kg vs. MXN$3.19/kg). Unbiased shadow price estimates for subsistence goods help to overcome the limitations of current income poverty measures: their overestimation of the purchasing power of subsistence households and their underestimation of the value of subsistence goods. In rural Mexico, current practice underestimates the population in food poverty by 2%; an additional 9% has income above the poverty line yet fail to meet the utilization dimension of food security

Exploring the connections between participation in and benefits from payments for hydrological services programs in Veracruz State, Mexico

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Payments for hydrological services (PHS) programs are expected to confer tangible benefits to households. Impact evaluations of PHS programs, however, find few to no changes in material indicators. One reason for this may be that non-financial motivations and benefits—including environmental or social—influence participation and are important outcomes for households participating in PHS programs. In this paper we test this hypothesis using 56 interviews and 181 surveys from households in Veracruz State, Mexico. Using logistic regression models we find that human, natural, physical and financial capital are important to the decision to participate in PHS, but so are pro-social and pro-environmental motivations. Using counterfactual impact evaluation methods we find few changes in material benefits but do find that PHS participants are more likely to report positive changes in their household and community quality of life over the last five years compared to households not participating in PHS programs. Qualitative information supports these findings. Our results contribute to the evolving theory on PHS that participation is driven by a mix of financial and non-financial motivations and that non-material benefits are an important outcome of these programs

Household’s Allocation of Payment for Ecosystem Services in “La Antigua” Watershed, Veracruz, México

Payment for ecosystem services (PES) is an environmental policy looking to improve ecosystem conservation and well-being. Assets have been used to evaluate socioeconomic outcomes of the program; however, the allocation of PES at a household level and its explaining variables have not been addressed. Thus, the aim of this article is to study the allocation of PES in nondurable and durable goods and the determinants of this household decision. Results from the La Antigua watershed located in Mexico indicate that the PES program is primarily used in durable goods, mainly on health, house infrastructure, agricultural inputs, and reforestation. Econometric models show that this allocation to one or several assets depends on the average age of the household head, on participation in a community organization, and on the average income. In contrast, government transfers are not significant. Based on this, policy recommendations are made related to the program’s socioeconomic outcomes and alignment with other conditional cash transfer