One of the key problems that arises now is nutrition. For the state of Tlaxcala, the Centre for Social Economy Julián Garcés A. C., established home gardens with bio-intensive beds as a strategy to generate food self-sufficiency in the town of Españita, Tlaxcala. The Civil Society Organization takes to food as a prerequisite for the development and growth of human right men, women, youth, children, the elderly, disabled, regardless of class, race, gender and ethnicity (^{FAO, 2002}).

At home, in the last decade, bio-intensive farming system has been considered in government, federal and state programs as key to pursue development of the producers’ farmers. In this system, the peasant family performs unskilled production, where they use biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem to complement their diet, health and income. In the bio-intensive vegetable beds occur mainly for family food, less frequently medicinal plants and ornamental plants (^{Gallopín, 2003}).

According to ^{Jeavons (2004)}, the family garden is a production system for producing more food in less space, based on the use of local inputs, without machinery or commercial insecticides or fertilizers to prevent damage to the environment or the health of women men and ecosystems. Authors like ^{Jeavons (2004)} refer to not just natural resources, but also the complex economic, nutritional and social situation faced by different generations and societies. In this regard, various strategies currently required are made to use natural resources have reached. Home gardens with bio-intensive beds are an alternative to reduce food insecurity in families Españita Township, Tlaxcala, and can also generate positive changes in supporting dietary deficiencies currently faced by many countries, regions and communities vulnerable (^{Altieri, 2000}).

Through this research we pretend to know the physical characteristics of the bio-intensive beds located in home gardens, and generally in other aspects of local development in the families of nine communities belonging to the municipality of Españita, Tlaxcala.

Españita, Municipal head with a total of 1 876 inhabitants, the main activity is agriculture, forestry and fishing (^{Baca, 2007}). Españita Township is located in the central Mexican plateau at 2 640 meters. Its geographical position, according to the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics is: 19 o C, 27 min north latitude and 98 o C, 25 min west longitude (^{Maldonado, 2007}).

Españita bordered on the north by the municipality of Sanctórum of Lazaro Cardenas, south borders the municipality of Ixtacuixtla Mariano Matamoros, eastern boundaries set by the municipality of Hueyotlipan; also, the west borders the municipality of Sanctórum of Lazaro Cardenas and the state of Puebla (^{CONEVAL, 2013}).

Figure 1 Location of the Municipality of Españita, Tlaxcala. 

Research design. The research was directed towards a systemic understanding of the backyard, first the structure and operation are analysed. Once the bio-intensive system was characterized, social, economic and ecological aspects it generates, which is the main objective of the study were determined.

Methods, techniques and tools for collecting information. The information provided by the Centre for Social Economy Julián Garcés A.C was used, where 50 families were active in 2013 in the program of "home gardens that feature bio-intensive beds". 45 families were interviewed, with a total of 174 people, of which 77.8% were women and the rest were men. Which corresponded to a total of nine communities which were: Pipillola, San Francisco Mitepec, San Juan Mitepec, El Piñón, La Magdalena, Álvaro Obregón, Constancia, La Reforma and San Agustin belonging to the municipality of Españita, Tlaxcala.

The instrument with which the information was collected was a questionnaire consisting of a set of questions for one or more variables to be measured, consistent with the problema statement and hypotheses. It consisted of the following sections: I. Overview of the families of study and the production unit; II. Information on the management of scarce resources in terms of bio-intensive beds; III. Dynamics of production of bio-intensive system obtained; IV. Impacts on bio-intensive system by changes in climate; V. General knowledge about bio-intensive system; and VI. Unanswered questions about the bio-intensive system.

Statistical Analysis. A descriptive analysis of the variables set in the research was conducted using the procedure of SPSS version 15.0.1 (SPSS Institute, 2006). For this purpose, first was developed a database of information obtained in the above field program.

The average of members per household is 3.8 people, in the Municipality of Españita, Tlaxcala was 4.8, statewide was 4.2 and 3.9 nationally. In terms of average members was found (3.8), it approaches the municipal level reported by the institute. In Table 1, the found, family structure indicating a predominance of nuclear households is shown.

Table 1 Plant species found in the bio-intensive beds Españita Municipality, Tlaxcala (2013). 

More than 92% of household heads, managers of family production unit, were women, with an average age of 48 years. And also were responsible primarily for domestic work (more than 55.6% of cases), but also developed income-generating tasks, as employed in domestic work. In the families interviewed had, overall, 129 children (72 females and 57 males); 66% of them were 29 years or less, relevant for estimating future employment demand to be in the region data.

The literacy rate is high, not counting children under 5 years not attending school: over 96% of people were literate. However, 58% of young people aged between 16 and 22 years did not continue studying. Of those interviewed only one person answered not to read or write.

The maximum degree of studies of the head (46.7%) and head of household (34.1%) is incomplete elementary school. Most of the householders have not completed basic education; however, for the young ones, the highest level of education is high school (17.6%) and, the low level of studies are children studying the elementary (26.1%). The average of the years of experience of the people interviewed in activities related to bio-intensive system is 5.6 years. Facts reflecting extensive experience in activities related to the production of bio-intensive vegetable beds.

Among household heads interviewed, 56.1% are engaged in agriculture as their main activity; other developed additional farm to support their families tasks; 4.4% was working on tasks such as handicrafts, driver, sell sheet, promoter or carpenter. The children also worked within and outside the family production unit to help monetization.

The reasons that families in the study were considered to participate in the production of bio-intensive vegetable beds was mainly for having to eat (24.4%). The number of families participating in the work of production of bio-intensive beds was only one family (97.8%) and also agreed that the number of orchards with that families was only one (91.1%).

Characteristics of bio-intensive beds. The number of beds with that families of the study was three beds per family (33.3%). Regarding measures available to each family of surface bio-intensive beds 55.6% are 1 m in width up to 6 m long, 2.2% corresponds to 50 cm wide and 1.50 cm long and 60 cm wide by 4 m long, the tenure is small property in full. The availability of such a small land surface is due to the distribution of inheritance which for generations has already given the theoretical principles of bio-intensive system (^{Palma, 2002}).

Regarding the tools and infrastructure, the data projected only 15.6% Biointensive beds are inside a greenhouse, 84.4% are outdoors. As for tools, shovel, rake, pitchfork and wheelbarrow (37.8%), which employ mainly in the development of bio-intensive beds. This means that families do not have sufficient financial resources to purchase a greenhouse or have not agreed to a government subsidy program. To acquire sufficient inputs for the production of its bio-intensive vegetable beds have as limiting the unreliability and lack of authorities responsible for sustainable social development that economic interests mainly because of globalization, making it unprofitable (^{López, 2010}).

Sowing characteristics of the different vegetables present in Biointensive beds are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Schematic of planting vegetables in bio-intensive beds (2013). 

In the bio-intensive beds located in home gardens Españita Township, Tlaxcala, the largest area of bio-intensive beds is cultivated with vegetables, only a small area is mainly for medicinal and ornamental species . In Table 1, the plant species found are observed; according to the edible part, plant species are classified as fruits, leaves, stems, flowers and roots (^{Olivares, 2012}). Chard, carrots, zucchini, radishes, cilantro, tomato and cauliflower: seven different species which are found on average (13.3%). However, a wide range of vegetables are grown under the bio-intensive system.

The design on the planting of different vegetables are shown in Figure 1 is different depending on the needs of families and study space available to them in bed bio-intensive; however, on average the number of plants present in Figure 1, corresponds to that found at the time of the investigation, so is shown below in Table 2. The number of main vegetables and plants located in the time of the investigation.

Table 2 Average number of main vegetables in a bio-intensive bed in the Municipality of Españita, Tlaxcala (2013). 

Regarding the enclosure of bio-intensive beds, 91.1% of households have them protected to avoid damage to their vegetables by animal attack, this suggests the importance that families attach to the protection of their vegetables for their growth and development. The orientation of protection is to cover the perimeter covers an area of bio-intensive vegetable beds planted mainly with the aim of ensuring production (^{Jiménez, 2007}). The materials used for fencing the area are in order of importance the metal mesh and plastic sacks.

To plant or activities in crops, producers use a calendar that have been built according to their experience and knowledge. They are guided by the seasons, the rainy season, the hot season, cold weather and the weather. So they know which crops to grow according to the season. In general, technological practices that used to carry out the production process involves preparing the ground for the purpose of having a porous soil this activity is carried out by first defining the area of the beds then double digging is done which allows air to enter the soil, thus helping to develop better life and more water is retained for plants. This practice involves digging about 60 cm deep and incorporate organic matter into the drilled hole, in the next 30 or 40 cm, dig another trench, and the land of the second trench cover primera.se continuous straight with the same procedure aforementioned to finish with the bed (^{Jeavons, 2007}).

The close planting means that the plants are planted at a shorter distance to the commercial and traditional agriculture recommended, so the space is better used. Sown to “staggered” into a hexagon, so that the distance between plants is always the same; this varies with the type and variety of plant. 88.9% planting their vegetables directly and only 11.1% is seedbed. And also state that each harvesting any other vegetable replanted in the same place (100%) only that different species harvested, so that this is one of the fundamental principles of bio-intensive method meets. The fundamental principles are: double digging, use of compost, close planting, association and crop rotation, use of open-pollinated seeds, cultivation for the production of compost and carbon generation and calories, comprehensive care (^{Flores, 2005} ).

Watering is manual, also planting, weeding, fertilizing, pest and diseases control. This practice is held every third day (66.7%) on average 77.8% the purchase of drinking water at home and, the container support is a pepper on vinegar can with holes on the bottom.

Fertilization of their bio-intensive vegetable beds is based on organic compost and control of pests and diseases is supported by natural products, these production practices are supported by the CES, as taught workshops based on natural products and which has in the region, in order not to continue harming the environment and men and women.

Most of the producers do not have modern irrigation system for their vegetables, only two families with irrigation system were located; watered by hand, carry water from the source storage to bio-intensive crops beds. Some people commented that they occupy reuse water for household chores such as washing clothes and dishes to water the vegetables.

In terms of nutrient recycling, this means that using animal manure as fertilizer for backyard vegetable production in bio-intensive beds, producers incorporate agroecological practices, contributing to increased levels of nutrients and organic matter in soil and reduce the problems of some weeds, pests and diseases. It also helps to reduce soil erosion (^{García, 2008}).

Pests and diseases control are another important agricultural practice for obtaining excellent quality and quantity in production (^{Dopazo, 2010}). In the production of bio-intensive vegetable beds in Españita, Tlaxcala, we found that 64.4% attacking these problems with biological products with ESC support through the provision of workshops, where used products like garlic, soapy water, onion, mint, camomile, etc.