Productive diversification in livestock farms linking wildlife

Abstract

The objective of this document is to analyze the importance of wildlife populations in the farms where livestock is carried out, with the purpose of linking the use of wild populations with the sustainability of livestock farms. Agricultural activities present stronger variations than the other sectors of the Mexican economy; therefore, livestock production is subject to several shocks that generate strong fluctuations in the stability of the sector. This instability increases the risk in agricultural production. Environmental risks generate uncertainty with potential losses of profits associated with the presence of uncertainty about the possible results, leading to the economic agents to take advantage of this situation or to cover themselves in case of eventual losses. The existence of risks explain the defensive behavior of some farmers, such as the reluctance to modify the harvested methods or the use of new or innovative diversified systems, which do not seem optimal from the point of view of profitability.1 Changes in economics growth in the agriculture and livestock subsectors between the years 2012 to 20172,3 are shown in Figure 1. However, it is important to focus attention to alternative activities to diversify livestock production, whose aim would be: To reduce the vulnerability of the farm when the environment and the economy are unstable; to optimize the use of natural resources of wild fauna and flora present in livestock farms, through the generation of alternative products or services; to take advantage of opportunities for the use of wildlife, according to public policies that are governed by the binary principle of Conservation and Use.4