What happens when a national agroecological production program is implemented in a specific population and environment? The Sembrando Vida Program in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Abstract

The article analyzes the implementation of the productive, national, and agroecological program Sembrando Vida in a specific rural setting and population: peasants in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo, Mexico. It focuses on: 1- The regional categories of agrarian subjects who have become program participants (landowners) and those who have been excluded or occupy a subordinate role in its operation (women, landless populations). 2- The adaptations made by participants to the agroecological transition proposed by the program. The article's methodology is based on ethnographic research conducted in three ejidos (communal lands). It is based on testimonies from peasants participating in the program, inhabitants of these agrarian communities who do not participate in it, and, to a lesser extent, operational staff. Among its key findings, the article documents the local exclusion process of certain subject categories, a trend of gendered participation disparities between men and women, and varied responses to the proposed technological transition. The conclusions highlight how agricultural programs are linked to prior policies (such as land redistribution) and how participants partially reproduce and adapt them to their own conditions.