Subsistence under the canopy: Agrobiodiversity’s contributions to food and nutrition security amongst coffee communities in Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between agrobiodiversity and food security. Results demonstrate that agrobiodiverse landscapes can contribute to food and nutrition security. Maize and bean production, as well as overall agrobiodiversity, were significantly correlated with a reduction in number of months of food insecurity. Due to the volatility of the coffee market, the high prices of food, the inadequate quality of food, and the limited availability and access to food produced inside or outside the communities, strategies that strengthen and diversify local food systems are essential to improving food and nutrition security, as well as livelihoods in general.