Maize stover in the relationship of maize-growing and cattle raising in the dry tropics of Chiapas, Mexico

An approximation study was conducted using a socio-agricultural approach to determine the current status of maize stover production and use in the Frailesca region of Chiapas. Field work conducted in 2012 consisted of semi-structured interviews to gather information from all stakeholders involved in the maize livestock farming relationship. Three classes of maize-livestock farmers by scale were identified in the region depending on the criteria of crop surface and maize yield. All three classes of farmers were found to be energy efficient, with balances above 9 Mcal produced per Mcal consumed. The primary form of using maize stover at all stages of cattle raising except fattening was direct grazing, due to low yields that make mechanical operations hardly feasible.An approximation study was conducted using a socio-agricultural approach to determine the current status of maize stover production and use in the Frailesca region of Chiapas. Field work conducted in 2012 consisted of semi-structured interviews to gather information from all stakeholders involved in the maizelivestock farming relationship. Three classes of maize-livestock farmers by scale were identified in the region depending on the criteria of crop surface and maize yield. All three classes of farmers were found to be energy efficient, with balances above 9 Mcal produced per Mcal consumed. The primary form of using maize stover at all stages of cattle raising except fattending was direct grazing, due to low yields that make mechanical operations hardly feasible

Ruling Frameworks and Fire Use‐Conflicts in Tropical Forests of Chiapas, Mexico: A Discourse Analysis

The use of fire within tropical forests to settle agriculture and livestock systems has long been causing a bottle-neck for governmental and environmental development agencies, especially in natural forested areas with local population. An international strategy followed since many years ago is the decree of special territories with vast forests as natural protected areas (NPA). In Mexico, environmental laws can run contrary to customs and practices of natural resource-dependent communities which still use fire to farm their lands as unique livelihood activity. The chapter examines two conflicting frameworks of resource management (forest and soil) and governance in a forest village’s efforts to comply with federal policies against fires in a NPA of Chiapas, Mexico. Forest and soil management is a key locus in California village, where governance structures come into conflict with hierarchical State power. Participatory workshops and semi-structured interviews were primary research instruments for data collection and discovery of community front and backstage. Ethnography and discourse analysis were used as main tools for the analysis of information. While the State leads the conservation efforts and limits cultural activities and local actions through coercive laws, the land use and resource-dependent communities defend their access rights, and they also determine how to individual or collectively manage fires in daily activities. Finding collective solutions with horizontal-dialogue strategies represent an important issue and a pending task for the development and preservation agencies focused on forested areas. Backstage dialogue is a tool for village self-preservation when livelihood strategies are at odds with protectionist conservation efforts