Jaime Herrera Barrientos

This study aims to analyse the perceptions of farmers in five municipalities in Sinaloa, Mexico (Ahome, Guasave, Choix, El Fuerte, and Sinaloa) regarding agricultural policies, the legal framework, and food security in conditions of structural inequalities and difficulties for sustainable rural development. Using an exploratory-descriptive quantitative approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to a probabilistic sample of 314 farmers in the five municipalities. Psychometric validation using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients (α and ω > 0.94) confirmed high internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed three latent dimensions that explain 61.56% of the total variance. The results show a high interrelation between the dimensions referring to the effectiveness of agricultural policies and the legal framework, forming a key institutional axis for the functioning of the agrifood system. In contrast, the dimension related to food security is positioned at a greater analytical distance, suggesting that its perception depends mainly on institutional performance and the actual availability of food, rather than on the regulatory guidelines them-selves. The dendrogrammatic analysis reinforces this relationship, highlighting the formation of a solid institutional block in contrast to a dimension of food security with more relative independence. It is concluded that, although there is legal certainty in land tenure, current governance fails to comply with Rawls' principle of difference, creating an implementation gap where the regulatory presence of the state does not translate into tangible food welfare for small producers.

En los espacios de la vida rural, donde la tierra se convierte en sustento y tradición, el traspatio emerge como un sistema productivo lleno de significado. Más allá de su aparente sencillez, representa una estrategia clave para la seguridad alimentaria, la diversificación de ingresos y la preservación de conocimientos que se trasmiten de generación a generación. “Diversidad productiva de traspatio y bienestar social en comunidades rurales” ofrece una mirada integral a estas prácticas, articulando fundamentos teóricos, evidencia empírica y propuestas de capacitación orientadas al desarrollo sostenible. A través de un enfoque multidisciplinario, se exploran las dinámicas sociales, económicas y ambientales que configuran el traspatio como un eje de resiliencia comunitaria. Este libro está dirigido a personas de comunidades comprometidas con el desarrollo rural, a académicos, a estudiantes y a aquellos interesadas en comprender y fortalecer las capacidades locales. En sus páginas, el lector encontrará no solo análisis rigurosos, sino también herramientas prácticas que contribuyen a impulsar modelos de producción más justos, inclusivos y sostenibles. Porque en cada traspatio hay más que producción: hay identidad, conocimiento y futuro.

Marine turtles are key species for the stability of coastal and oceanic ecosystems; however, their conservation faces increasing pressures derived from climate change and anthropogenic activities. This study analyzes the perception of the academic and scientific community in biology, environmental sciences, and marine sciences regarding marine turtle conservation along the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico. A quantitative cross-sectional survey-based study with an exploratory approach was employed, using a Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 358 participants. The instrument demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = 0.836; ω = 0.827). An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal component extraction identified four components explaining 55.51% of the total variance, corresponding to four dimensions: (1) commitment to conservation, (2) environmental and climatic impacts on reproductive processes, (3) key factors and threats in the reproductive cycle, and (4) conservation practices and knowledge. Results suggest a general tendency toward agreement on the ecological importance of marine turtles and the threats affecting their reproductive success, particularly climate-related and habitat degradation factors. However, greater variability was observed in perceptions related to applied practices and technical knowledge, indicating differences in perceptions related to the implementation of conservation strategies. These findings suggest the potential relevance of strengthening applied training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and knowledge transfer mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of conservation initiatives in priority nesting areas of Sinaloa.

Backyard activities (BAs) constitute a traditional rural food production strategy, although their sustainability-related outcomes remain underexplored in rural contexts. Our objective is to analyze how BAs in rural communities in the municipality of Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, represent a local strategy for producing healthy food through sustainable practices, focusing on the relationship between production processes and indicators associated with waste management, water use, and environmental impact. A stratified sampling approach was employed, and a structured survey was administered to 387 households practicing BAs in the region. Instrument consistency was verified using the Kuder–Richardson coefficient. Results show that BAs are relevant in the region: 89.15% of respondents have a family garden and 67.96% raise animals for domestic consumption, supporting an additional income. Chi-square tests revealed statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05) among the study variables, ranging from moderate to strong, with backyard animal husbandry practices standing out in relation to nutritional and health management in animal production, reaffirming that these are not isolated events but complementary activities. These findings indicate that BAs involve interconnected systems rather than isolated activities, reflecting an integrated household-level system with potential implications for resource management and environmental sustainability in rural contexts.

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened daily tension, leading to stress and other illnesses. This research examined the impact of backyard activities on social and personal well-being, focusing on agricultural (gardens, vegetables, medicinal plants) and livestock activities (chickens, goats, sheep, cows). An exploratory study was conducted using a Likert-scale survey of 387 people, with 22 items covering economic growth, social well-being, and human development. The results showed that 50% of the respondents experienced pleasant emotions through sensory engagement with home gardens, leading to well-being, reduced anxiety and stress, better concentration, and improved family harmony. McDonald’s Omega (ω) value for item consistency was 0.964. Strong correlations were found between economic growth, social well-being, and human development with social and personal well-being, at 0.719, 0.819, and 0.812, respectively. These results are validated by an exploratory principal component factor analysis, which shows the correlation of the classes that integrate backyard activities on a principal axis. Backyard livestock activities had a lesser impact on personal and social well-being compared to agricultural activities, which were valued more for their economic and nutritional contributions. Thus, backyard activities, especially those involving home gardens, significantly enhance social and personal well-being alongside their economic and food benefits.

The northwest region of Mexico stands out as one of the areas with the greatest contribution to the national aquaculture industry, which has led its producers to reconsider the need to innovate in the processes of technological incorporation in sustainable ways. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the attitudinal and motivational context perceived in aquaculture companies in the region, related to the innovation, competitiveness and support programmes. By means of Likert scaling, it was possible to identify aspects of both domains that would facilitate the development of technological innovation within aquaculture. Such an escalation also showed the need to intensify efforts, with the participation of the state, public and private universities, as well as non-governmental organisations, to develop strategies and policies that facilitate the incorporation of innovative technologies. The research design is structured under a descriptive-explanatory approach, with a cross-sectional format, in which 108 surveys were applied. These surveys were designed using the Likert scale and validated with the McDonald’s Omega method, with ω = 0.773. Cronbach’s α and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were employed, showing a correlation between the items of the construct and its subcategories. The values of the covariance of the items obtained through the exploratory analysis show that 56% of the items have a correlation greater than 0.05. This indicates that there is a positive attitude and motivation towards the implementation of technological innovation in aquaculture in the study region, with participation from all three levels of government.

Rural communities in Mexico and other countries with limited economic resources require a low-cost measurement system for the piezometric level and temperature of groundwater for their sustainable management, since anthropogenic action (pumping extractions), natural recharge and climate change phenomena affect the behavior of piezometric levels in the aquifer and its sustainability is at risk. Decrease in the piezometric level under a balanced level promotes salt intrusion from ocean water to the aquifer, salinizing and deteriorating the water quality for agriculture and other activities; and a decrease in water level under the pumps or well drilling depth could deprive communities of water. Water temperature monitoring is essential to determine electric conductivity and dissolved salt content in groundwater. Using IoT technology, a device was developed that monitors both variables inside the well, and the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure outside the well. The measurements are made in real time, with sampling every second and sending data to a dedicated server every 15 min so that the visualization can be accessed through a device with Internet access. The time series of the variables measured inside and outside the well were obtained over a period of three months in the rural community of Agua Blanca, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico. Through these records, a progressive temporary drawdown of the piezometric level is observed, as well as the frequency of pumping. This low-cost IoT system shows potential use in hydrological processes of interest such as the separation of regional and local flow, drawdown rates and recognition of geohydrological parameters.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing productive sectors in recent years, so much so that it has surpassed traditional fishing. The aim is to make its production processes sustainable, mainly economically and environmentally, through continuous innovation. Hence, the objective is to determine the relevance of sustainable innovation management in the shrimp sector in the municipality of Guasave, state of Sinaloa, Mexico, as a determining factor in the search for social and environmental well-being in this region of the Mexican Pacific. With this in mind, the present research was designed as an exploratory–explanatory study, under a qualitative approach with a multiple case study strategy using the Likert scale. To this purpose, 24 surveys were applied to the owners and managers of six farms specializing in shrimp production, with a continuous production of 10 years and a minimum of 100 hectares cultivated in recent years. Each survey consisted of seven themes and a total of 37 items to analyze eight indicators which influence the sustainable innovative management of the shrimp sector. The survey results indicate that the perception of entrepreneurs toward the relevance of sustainable innovation management is favorable, with 96% agreeing to encourage innovation, 83% agreeing to invest in new equipment and methods, and 83% in favor of their participation in markets. Moreover, the correlation between the indicators to determine the influence of sustainable innovation management is significant at 0.69 and 0.86.

Las microempresas son de gran importancia para las economías del mundo por su capacidad de generar empleos y contribuir al producto interno bruto, favoreciendo el sistema productivo nacional. Sin embargo, también son altamente vulnerables a los diferentes escenarios socioeconómicos que surgen de sus diferentes entornos, así como a la formación en planificación financiera de sus operadores (gerentes, administradores o propietarios) quienes son parte central de la expectativa de vida de estas empresas. así como su crecimiento.La relevancia del operador se analiza mediante la prueba estadística chi-cuadrado relacionando variedades de planificación financiera como crédito, liquidez, endeudamiento, costos de bienes y servicios, toma de decisiones sobre la edad, educación y formación profesional en la planificación financiera del operador la microempresa. Mediante escala tipo Likert se formularon 124 encuestas, cada una con 22 ítems relacionados con el perfil de los operadores y los recursos de planificación financiera antes mencionado, mostrando así registros numéricos cuantificables que contienen las respuestas de los microempresarios entrevistados. A partir del análisis estadístico con la prueba de chi-cuadrado se determinaron los grados de dependencia entre variables, encontrando que la formación profesional en el campo de la planificación financiera del operador de la microempresa es determinante en la supervivencia, existencia o esperanza de vida, la cual es de 5.7 , inferior a la media nacional.