Small-scale low external input crop systems (SSLEICS) managed by campesino households in Latin America are experiencing dramatic changes that impinge heavily upon traditional natural resource use strategies. Enhancing the integration of livestock into low external input crop systems at the forest/agriculture interface presents an opportunity for maginalised campesino households to consolidate existing, and to develop new, regenerative practices that harmonise agricultural development and forest conservation.

Documents

Final Technical Report

A participatory research initiative between campesino producer families and researchers was reported. Issues addressed in the project were:

• the amount, quality and complementarity of animal feed sources available from SSLEICS;
• possible livestock/crop interactions;
• and the socio-economic and gender impact of integrating the livestock component.

The research was carried out in a collegiate manner between campesino households and researchers so that the integration strategies developed were appropriate for identified uptake pathways. Conventional research support was provided as the need was identified through participatory appraisal.

The field work and campesino/researcher workshops were carried out at four sites in SE Mexico representative of forest/agriculture interface regions in Latin America.