IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ssefpa/v11y2019i2d10.1007_s12571-019-00901-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

More than just corn and calories: a comprehensive assessment of the yield and nutritional content of a traditional Lacandon Maya milpa

Author

Listed:
  • Tomasz B. Falkowski

    (Cornell University)

  • Adolfo Chankin

    (Lacanja Chansayab)

  • Stewart A. W. Diemont

    (State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry)

  • Robert W. Pedian

    (State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry)

Abstract

The traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of Lacandon Maya is expressed in their swidden (i.e., slash-and-burn), sequential agroforestry system. Successional pathways are initiated through controlled burns of secondary forest and by cultivating milpa: a swidden polyculture agroecosystem dominated by maize (corn; Zea mays). While past research demonstrated that traditional Maya milpas yield large quantities of corn that can meet caloric requirements for Lacandon communities, no studies have comprehensively quantified the yields of other crops cultivated in Lacandon milpas or assessed whether they can meet other nutritional requirements for local people. Using a case study approach, this research measured the agricultural yields and nutritional content of all foods (including crops and wild game) harvested from a traditional Lacandon milpa. Following traditional Lacandon agroforestry management practices, we performed a controlled burn of secondary forest and planted crops and trees in an experimental milpa in Lacanja Chansayab, Chiapas, Mexico. Over 3 years, we harvested, weighed, and calculated the nutritional content of all foodstuffs obtained from the milpa. Assuming an average family size of 5.3 individuals, yields from an average-sized milpa can meet most United States Food and Drug Administration daily value nutritional requirements per capita, including calories, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, protein, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, zinc, and niacin. Diets derived exclusively from milpa may be deficient in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, calcium, and iodine, and harvests vary intra- and inter-annually. Lacandon farmers can supplement these harvests by foraging in their managed forest. These results underscore the potential of Lacandon agroforestry management to provide rural smallholder farmers in the Lacandon rainforest with food sovereignty while maintaining nearby forest cover to conserve biodiversity and other ecosystem services.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomasz B. Falkowski & Adolfo Chankin & Stewart A. W. Diemont & Robert W. Pedian, 2019. "More than just corn and calories: a comprehensive assessment of the yield and nutritional content of a traditional Lacandon Maya milpa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(2), pages 389-404, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s12571-019-00901-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-019-00901-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12571-019-00901-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12571-019-00901-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, 2009. "Food security: definition and measurement," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(1), pages 5-7, February.
    2. Phalan, Ben & Balmford, Andrew & Green, Rhys E. & Scharlemann, Jörn P.W., 2011. "Minimising the harm to biodiversity of producing more food globally," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(Supplemen), pages 62-71, January.
    3. Phalan, Ben & Balmford, Andrew & Green, Rhys E. & Scharlemann, Jörn P.W., 2011. "Minimising the harm to biodiversity of producing more food globally," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(S1), pages 62-71.
    4. Sánchez-Pérez, H.J. & Hernán, M.A. & Ríos-González, A. & Arana-Cedeño, M. & Navarro, A. & Ford, D. & Micek, M.A. & Brentlinger, P., 2007. "Malnutrition among children younger than 5 years-old in conflict zones of Chiapas, Mexico," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(2), pages 229-232.
    5. Falkowski, Tomasz B. & Martinez-Bautista, Isaias & Diemont, Stewart A.W., 2015. "How valuable could traditional ecological knowledge education be for a resource-limited future?: An emergy evaluation in two Mexican villages," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 300(C), pages 40-49.
    6. Duffy, Michael, 2009. "Economies of Size in Production Agriculture," Staff General Research Papers Archive 31282, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Serge Savary, 2020. "Looking back on 2019: a selection of Food Security articles," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(1), pages 1-3, February.
    2. Olaf Erenstein & Moti Jaleta & Kai Sonder & Khondoker Mottaleb & B.M. Prasanna, 2022. "Global maize production, consumption and trade: trends and R&D implications," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(5), pages 1295-1319, October.
    3. Zhang, Can & Su, Bo & Beckmann, Michael & Volk, Martin, 2024. "Emergy-based evaluation of ecosystem services: Progress and perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    4. Claudia de Brito Quadros Gonçalves & Madalena Maria Schlindwein & Gabrielli do Carmo Martinelli, 2021. "Agroforestry Systems: A Systematic Review Focusing on Traditional Indigenous Practices, Food and Nutrition Security, Economic Viability, and the Role of Women," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-20, October.
    5. Kristin Drexler, 2021. "Climate-Smart Adaptations and Government Extension Partnerships for Sustainable Milpa Farming Systems in Mayan Communities of Southern Belize," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    6. Lucía Pérez-Volkow & Stewart A.W. Diemont & Theresa Selfa & Helda Morales & Alejandro Casas, 2023. "From rainforest to table: Lacandon Maya women are critical to diversify landscapes and diets in Lacanjá Chansayab, Mexico," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 259-275, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Amy Molotoks & Matthias Kuhnert & Terence P. Dawson & Pete Smith, 2017. "Global Hotspots of Conflict Risk between Food Security and Biodiversity Conservation," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Ickowitz, Amy & Powell, Bronwen & Salim, Mohammad & Sunderland, Terry, 2013. "Dietary quality and tree cover in Africa," MPRA Paper 52906, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Benjamin T. Phalan, 2018. "What Have We Learned from the Land Sparing-sharing Model?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-24, May.
    4. Ana D. Maldonado & Darío Ramos-López & Pedro A. Aguilera, 2019. "The Role of Cultural Landscapes in the Delivery of Provisioning Ecosystem Services in Protected Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, April.
    5. Hualin Xie & Yingqian Huang & Qianru Chen & Yanwei Zhang & Qing Wu, 2019. "Prospects for Agricultural Sustainable Intensification: A Review of Research," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-27, October.
    6. Loconto, Allison & Desquilbet, Marion & Moreau, Théo & Couvet, Denis & Dorin, Bruno, 2020. "The land sparing – land sharing controversy: Tracing the politics of knowledge," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    7. repec:idb:brikps:64718 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Gardner, Toby A. & Ferreira, J. & Barlow, J. & Lees, A. C. & Parry, L. & Vieira, I. C. G. & Berenguer, E. & Abramovay, R. & Aleixo, A. & Andretti, C. & Aragao, L. E. O. C. & Araujo, I. & de Avila, W. , 2013. "A social and ecological assessment of tropical land uses at multiple scales: the Sustainable amazon network," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 50120, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Fischer, Joern & Abson, David J. & Butsic, Van & Chappell, M. Jahi & Ekroos, Johan & Hanspach, Jan & Kuemmerle, Tobias & Smith, Henrik G. & von Wehrden, Henrik, 2014. "Land sparing versus land sharing: Moving forward," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 7(3), pages 149-157.
    10. Luz Maria Castro & Baltazar Calvas & Thomas Knoke, 2015. "Ecuadorian Banana Farms Should Consider Organic Banana with Low Price Risks in Their Land-Use Portfolios," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-23, March.
    11. Desquilbet, Marion & Dorin, Bruno & Couvet, Denis, 2013. "Land sharing vs. land sparing for biodiversity: How agricultural markets make the difference," TSE Working Papers 13-435, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Oct 2015.
    12. Alan Matthews, 2012. "Greening the Cap: The Way Forward," QA - Rivista dell'Associazione Rossi-Doria, Associazione Rossi Doria, issue 4, December.
    13. João Pompeu & Luciana Soler & Jean Ometto, 2018. "Modelling Land Sharing and Land Sparing Relationship with Rural Population in the Cerrado," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-19, July.
    14. John E. Quinn & Amy Oden & James R. Brandle, 2013. "The Influence of Different Cover Types on American Robin Nest Success in Organic Agroecosystems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(8), pages 1-11, August.
    15. Marion Desquilbet & Bruno Dorin & Denis Couvet, 2016. "Land Sharing vs Land Sparing to Conserve Biodiversity: How Agricultural Markets Make the Difference [land-sharing/land-sparing, comment les marchés font la différence]," Post-Print hal-03948463, HAL.
    16. Kubitza, Christoph & Krishna, Vijesh V. & Urban, Kira & Alamsyah, Zulkifli & Qaim, Matin, 2018. "Land Property Rights, Agricultural Intensification, and Deforestation in Indonesia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 312-321.
    17. Yu, Wusheng & Clora, Francesco & Costa, Louis & Baudry, Gino, 2021. "Dietary Transitions As Climate Mitigation Measures in Europe: Implications of Supply-Side Responses and Trade Policy Regimes," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315912, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. José Luis Molina-Pardo & Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero & Miguel Cueto & Pablo Barranco & Manuel Sánchez-Robles & Azucena Laguía-Allué & Esther Giménez-Luque, 2021. "Effects of Agricultural Use on Endangered Plant Taxa in Spain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-25, November.
    19. van Wijk, Mark T., 2014. "From global economic modelling to household level analyses of food security and sustainability: How big is the gap and can we bridge it?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P2), pages 378-388.
    20. Sunderland, Terry & Abdoulaye, Rabdo & Ahammad, Ronju & Asaha, Stella & Baudron, Frederic & Deakin, Elizabeth & Duriaux, Jean-Yves & Eddy, Ian & Foli, Samson & Gumbo, Davison & Khatun, Kaysara & Kondw, 2017. "A methodological approach for assessing cross-site landscape change: Understanding socio-ecological systems," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 83-91.
    21. Alon Tal, 2018. "Making Conventional Agriculture Environmentally Friendly: Moving beyond the Glorification of Organic Agriculture and the Demonization of Conventional Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s12571-019-00901-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.