Dissertation Research: The Ethnoecology of Maize Variety Choice Under Intensification

农业生产集约化是第三世界国家发展的共同结果。人们普遍认为，传统社会的农业集约化导致种植的植物种类和品种减少，并随之丧失有关以前种植的植物的知识。然而，几乎没有研究来确定在哪种情况下这种假设是有效的。在这个项目中，研究者将检验集约化导致农民知识简化和损失的假设。他将研究墨西哥恰帕斯州种植玉米的农民，看看现代集约化农业方法是否被用于维持高原和低地资源贫乏地区的多样性。将特别注意查明个别农民决策过程中的关键变数。这个项目将有助于我们了解资源贫乏的农民是如何使他们的农业生产适应他们的环境的。此外，该项目的数据将有助于决策者了解旨在提高墨西哥农业生产力的努力的潜力和局限性。

Intensification of agricultural production is a common outcome of development in third world countries. There is a commonly held notion that agricultural intensification in traditional societies leads to a decrease in the types and varieties of plants grown and a concomitant loss of knowledge about those previously grown. However, almost no research has been conducted to determine under which set of circumstances this assumption is valid. During this project, the researcher will test the assumption that intensification leads to simplification and loss of knowledge by peasant farmers. He will study peasant maize farmers in Chiapas, Mexico to see if modern intensive agricultural methods are used to maintain diversity in resource poor areas in the highlands and lowlands. Special attention will be given to identifying crucial variables in the decision making process of individual farmers. This project will contribute to our understanding of the way resource poor farmers adapt their agricultural production to their environment as they intensify. In addition, the data from this project will help policy makers understand the potential and limitations of efforts aimed at increasing agricultural productivity in Mexico.