Globalización, agroindustrias y agricultura por contrato en México

Abstract

Contract farming comprises an agribusiness supply mechanism thas undergone rapid expansion in recent years. Among the factors influencing that expansion are changes in consumption, the growth and strengthening of agribusinesses and other distributors, and the application of structural adjustment policies. The objective of this article is the analysis of the characteristics of the type of contract farming practiced with regard to the production of pickling cucumbers, as well as its effects on producers, labor and land markets, and the environment. We find that the income obtained by contracted producers has not freed them from the necessity of diversifying their activities, and that, in general, their situation as producers of non-traditional commodities is vulnerable and dependent upon global markets.