Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Landscape, local leadership, and gender: Keys to food systems transformation from the experience of heifer Mexico

Heifer International, Mexico

Abstract

Transforming food systems to become more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient is an urgent global challenge. The Mexico office of Heifer International (Heifer Mexico) addresses this challenge through the integration of two complementary approaches - Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) and Locally Led Sustainable Development (LLSD) - which, when applied through a gender-responsive lens, have the potential to catalyze systemic change and respond to complex socio-environmental dynamics rooted in rural territories. ILM and LLSD converge around shared principles such as community participation, adaptive governance, local and ancestral knowledge recognition, and redistribution of power and decision-making capacity. Both frameworks also emphasise the importance of social capital, collaboration among diverse stakeholders, and the active agency of rural communities. A gender perspective enriches this approach by highlighting the critical role of women as stewards of ecosystems and change agents in their communities. It also reveals structural inequalities that limit their access to land, markets, leadership spaces, and the benefits of food systems. The case of the Más Allá del Café 2 (Beyond Coffee 2) project, implemented in Chiapas, Mexico, illustrates this intersection. The initiative promoted agroecological practices, livelihood diversification, and strengthening local organisations. It positioned women and youth as central actors across the coffee value chain. In line with agroecological principles, beekeeping and poultry production enabled women to expand their agency, improve food security, and build economic and climate resilience. Transforming food systems requires integrated strategies that simultaneously address ecological, economic, social, and cultural complexity. Centering gender equity and local leadership in landscape-scale interventions generates more relevant, sustainable, and just outcomes—capable of meeting today’s interconnected challenges. Keywords: food systems transformation, gender equity, landscape management, locally led development, rural territories.

Keywords: Food systems, gender

Contact Address: Maria Isabel Ruiz Munoz, Heifer International, Mexico-City, Mexico, e-mail: isabel.rumugmail.com