Abstract

BECERRIL, Javier. Agrodiversidad y nutrición en Yucatán: una mirada al mundo maya rural. Región y sociedad [online]. 2013, vol.25, n.58, pp.123-163. ISSN 2448-4849.

The use and development of agrobiodiversity give genuine continuity to the conservation of in situ genetic diversity and its knowledge, as well as generating positive externalities in terms of nutritional wellbeing. In rural areas ofYucatan, seven out of ten adult men and women are overweight, and 20 out of 100 infants have short stature, which translates into a dual public health problem that slows rural development. The article discusses the paradox between the availability of extensive agricultural diversity and overweight in 390 rural households in 20 locations, distributed among the seven regions of Yucatan. The indings reveal that adult women are most prone to obesity, but the condition of being Maya (speaking the Mayan language and identifying as such, in addition to maintaining customs of the culture), is a situation that suggests a reduction in the rate of overweight and obesity, which can be argued is due to the customs in the consumption and management of agrobiodiversity.

Keywords : economic change; agrobiodiversity; nutrition; Mayan; rural.