“Aunque No Cosechamos Mucho, Ayuda” (Even If We Don't Harvest Much, It Helps): The Value of Agriculture in San Miguel del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico
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Abstract
In San Miguel del Valle (San Miguel), unmechanized maize agriculture remains an important part of life for many families, even as drought and economic policies limit its viability. San Miguel is a Zapotec town of approximately 3000 inhabitants in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. I discuss local agricultural practices and maize-based foodways. I describe the livelihood strategies of several families in San Miguel and analyze how families combine agriculture with migration and craft production. Families’ decisions are shaped by the options available to them and by their personal preferences. I argue that agriculture’s value in San Miguel is not determined by economic factors alone because agriculture is intimately tied with the social and cultural survival of the community. I demonstrate that understanding the social, cultural, and environmental context of small-scale farmers’ livelihoods is essential for better supporting such farmers.
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