Perceptions, sustainability and forest cover associated to public programs for coffee production in the Sierra de Zongolica, Mexico

Rural policies in Mexico have often been criticized for failing to adequately address peasants’ longstanding challenges. During the first leftist federal government, public programs such as Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) and Producción para el Bienestar (Production for Wellbeing) were introduced to improve peasants’ living conditions and environmental sustainability. Both programs require substantial budgetary allocations, and have been the focus of polarized national and international debates. However, few studies have assessed their performance empirically. Here, we analyze both programs in contrast to traditional management in an indigenous coffee-growing area of Veracruz (Sierra de Zongolica). Specifically, we 1) use the Q-method to explore socio-environmental perceptions about the programs’ scope and limitations, 2) analyze the sustainability of plot managements through an evaluation framework, and 3) quantify forest-cover changes through the use of GIS. Four distinct groups of social perceptions were identified: program defenders, proactive critics, pragmatists, and absolute critics. The key finding from the sustainability assessment is that there is no existing ideal agroforestry coffee model, instead, public programs and traditional managements exhibit considerable potential for complementarity through exchange of knowledge and practices. Forest loss occurred mainly at the initial phase of Sembrando Vida, after which the rate of loss decreased. We attribute that decrease to the farmers’ tradition of adaptive agroforestry management. Drawing on the case study, the conclusions assess the key successes and remaining opportunities within both land-use policies, especially in agrarian terms, the integration of local agriculture knowledge and practices, and the potential for cross-territorial exchange between the programs.