Environmental management in the vegetable sector of Mexico

Abstract

The major environmental concerns of agriculture in Mexico are related to water resources and deforestation, in addition to the increasingly important issues of pesticide use, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion. This situation worsens in arid or semiarid regions, such as the state of Zacatecas, where the main source of water is 34 aquifers, 15 of which are overexploited. One option for reducing environmental deterioration is to encourage production units to adopt environmental management systems (EMS). These systems, however, are not well known to growers at the local or national level. The establishment of an EMS in the agricultural sector is relatively new, although it is widely used in other industrial sectors. This study determined the views, drivers and barriers to adopting an EMS in the vegetable sector of the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. A questionnaire was given to 202 technicians or owners of vegetable production units. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Improving access to markets was the most important driver for EMS adoption, while the lack of government support was the main barrier. The study demonstrated that views of sustainability are closely related to attitudes toward environmental management actions and environmental sustainability.