The Tilapia Agrifood-Chain from a Sociopoietic Territorial Approach: A Theoretical Proposal

In the state of Veracruz, Mexico, the performance of the Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) production system in the domestic market has been declining. Recent production results are lower than those presented in 1999, revealing that the production model adopted and used since 2001 is ineffective as a development strategy. The reason for the failure is that the model considers the technological production process as the central element of aquacultural competitiveness, without considering that production practices, marketing and consumption of goods are performed by individuals who decide and control their actions and are motivated by the values shared with their social group. This interpretation reveals the need for a new complementary conceptual framework, considering the system of production and consumption as a social self-referencing system. Thus, in this article, a model of an agricultural food-chain with a sociopoietic territorial focus on the development of the aquaculture subsector is outlined. The model is based on constructs having the following theoretical dichotomies- territorial agrifood, neo-institutional business, sociopoiesis and individual motivation.