Resumen

GOMEZ CRUZ, Manuel Ángel; SCHWENTESIUS RINDERMANN, Rita; ORTIGOZA RUFINO, Javier  y  GOMEZ TOVAR, Laura. Situation and challenges of the mexican organic sector. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2010, vol.1, n.4, pp.593-608. ISSN 2007-0934.

At the present time, diverse factors of environmental, social, economic, cultural and political character, have motivated the interest for development of organic agriculture, recognizing as an economically efficient, socially responsible and ecologically sustainable alternative, with potential to attenuate negative impacts attributed to conventional agriculture. In spite its dynamism, which reflected growth rates superior to 25%, there are no official records to supervise its evolution, then this sector is excluded from current national agricultural policies. Therefore, the permanent update of statistical data becomes a need to define policies that favor its development. In that sense, the article presents and analyzes data gathered between 2007 and 2008 inside the project "tracking and information system of organic agriculture in Mexico" that the authors began in 1995; the production geography, the production diversification, the producers profile, the indigenous population participation, the women paper are analyzed as well as problem that stops potentiate its impact and opportunities, between other aspects.

Palabras llave : alternative; development; diversification; organic agriculture; production geography.