Traditional Vanilla (Vanilla Planifolia) Peasants Typology in Traditional Agroforestry Systems of Huasteca Potosina.

Abstract

The traditional agroforestry systems of the Mexican tropics known as te’lom or cuayo, managed by the Tének and Nahua
ethnic groups, are based on the sustainable use of resources and efficient management of space. However, the introduction
of vanilla cultivation is changing the dynamics and composition of these systems. This study aims to characterize and typify
the vanilla producers of the traditional agroforestry systems of the Huasteca Potosina region. From the 355 cases that
were statistically analyzed, we obtained 135 variables of agronomic and producer characteristics. The main environmental conditions and their relationship to traditional systems were evaluated to define a spatial distribution pattern. For the
typology of producers, a two-phase cluster analysis was applied. There are three groups of producers, who are differentiated
by the number of activities in vanilla production, the number of tutors employed, and ethnicity. The Tének systems present
fewer modifications than the Nahua ones. The latter are even starting to specialize in the management of commercial
species, but they maintain some features of their traditional cultivation systems.