Unveiling relational values in agroecosystems through participatory video in a tropical agroforest frontier

Recognizing and incorporating the diverse values of nature into decision-making is critical for transformative change toward sustainability. This is particularly true for relational values involving reciprocity, care, and responsibility, especially in unsustainable production systems replacing rapidly diverse tropical forests. Our study reveals the diversity of relational values in agroecosystems through a creative Participatory Video (PV) process embedded within a long-term transdisciplinary project at the agroforestry frontier of southeastern Mexico. Informal chats and interviews were followed by a workshop to present the PV tools, storyboarding, filming, and video editing. The process concluded with a public screening at the community. The video content and interviews analysis revealed a great diversity of relational values of agroecosystems, such as individual and cultural identity, social cohesion, social responsibility, moral responsibility to non-humans, stewardship, self-determination, and some differences in narratives associated with intersectionality. PV allowed participants to express their deepest feelings, highlighting how relational values shape daily life in the community and nurturing self-determination to foster collective action. The diversity and prevalence of these values were striking, given that families arrived only 40 years ago, and the tropical forest is rapidly disappearing. Deep leverage points and shifts in sustainable management visions pave the way for transformative changes in the local food system and potential scaling to other similar communities.