Abstract

MOFENO-SECENA, Juan C.; NAVA-TABLADA, Martha E.  and  HERNANDEZ-SANCHEZ, María I.. Attitudes of coffee producers regarding soil management and conservation in the Cascadas de Texolo, Ramsar Site. agric. soc. desarro [online]. 2015, vol.12, n.4, pp.553-566. ISSN 1870-5472.

Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) production is of great economic, cultural and environmental importance in the Cascadas de Texolo Ramsar Site and its surroundings, decreed as Natural Protected Area. The physical, chemical and biological degradation of the soil in this zone has increased, so it is a priority to carry out research that leads to its management and conservation. The objective of this study was to understand the history of coffee producers in the Cascadas de Texolo Ramsar Site and their attitude towards the adoption of practices for soil management and conservation. The study was performed in the localities of Xico and Teocelo, Veracruz, through a survey that used a questionnaire applied to 40 coffee producers whose plots were located inside the polygon of the Ramsar Site. It was found that the works and soil conservation practices were promoted at the beginning of the 1970s by the former Mexican Coffee Institute (Instituto Mexicano del Café, INMECAFÉ), some of which are still upheld and being practiced. The average age of those surveyed was over 61 years, of which 60 % are small-scale landowners, 22 % medium-scale and 18 % large-scale. Of the producers, 80 % had established works or executed conservation practices at some point. However, currently, only 45 % continues to perform soil conservation practices inside the Site, despite it being denominated Ramsar. A slightly positive attitude (3.3), on the Likert scale, was found towards conservation of the coffee-producing agroecosystem. Producers with larger surface cultivated have a better attitude towards soil conservation (4.4), which could be related to the fact that they are the ones who have a higher degree of schooling. It was concluded that the activities that lead to soil conservation practiced in the Ramsar Site were product of prior trainings that still have influence and which have been decreasing considerably even if there is a positive attitude among coffee producers towards the resource's management and conservation.

Keywords : agroecosystem; Coffea arabica L.; disposition; conservation works..

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