Sembrando Vida Program: Analysis of Food Security and Social Organization in Communities of the Central Veracruz Agroecosystem

Abstract

Objective: To compare the Sembrando Vida Program with respect to food self-sufficiency, adoption of the Milpa Intercalada en Árboles Frutales (MIAF; Intercropped Milpa with Fruit Trees), and social organization across three communities situated along a contrasting altitudinal gradient within the central Veracruz agroecosystem.

Design: The methodology relied on a survey approach using a structured questionnaire. We interviewed 90 registered participants (“sowers”) from peasant learning communities in three localities in the state of Veracruz, complemented by semi-structured interviews with 15 sowers.

Results: The Sembrando Vida Program showed 100% recognition and acceptance among formal members. All participants (100%) reported that the program transformed and made more visible gender relations both within the broader community and within the peasant learning community. Participants also reported improvements in household and community-wide economic conditions and food security.

Limitations of the study/Implications: The significance of this study is limited to participants in the Sembrando Vida Program. Nonetheless, it offers a grounded account of current realities and of the program’s impacts on the lives of those involved. Findings/conclusions: The evidence presented supports the program’s positive contributions to the transformation and development of rural communities and their principal actors, particularly women. The Sembrando Vida Program is associated with increased women’s participation across activities, advances in gender equity, enhanced food security, biodiversity conservation within agroecosystems, improvements in household economies, and strengthened social cohesion, alongside more structured planning and allocation of tasks in both agricultural and domestic spheres.