1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

DESIRE (EU-DES!RE)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD) - France

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales (IIAF) - Mexico

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

SECRETARÍA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALES (SECRETARÍA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALES) - Mexico

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Reference(s) to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Technologies

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Land reclamation with local agave (to produce mezcal) associated wotj trees, shrubs and grasses planted through participative actions for economic benefit.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Aims / objectives: Rehabilitation of degraded land is achieved by using native agave and trees, shrubs and grasses which creates, over the medium-term (7-10 years), a sustainable production of an alcoholic drink and/or pharmaceutical products and/or fodder for cattle and/or wood. Further objectives are water conservation, biodiversity, generation of permanend employment, carbon sequestration, generation of higher family incomes and a reduction of the amount of livestock and number of animals and uncontrolled grazing. These positive impacts of the Approach contribute to preventing the rural population from emigrating to the cities or abroad.

Methods: Coordination, cooperation and systematic participatory process among stakeholders are the basis of the Approach. Promoting participatory process occurs through workshops, interviews with community leaders, field visits conducted with owners of the land to recognize the problems and identify areas of opportunity, training courses, exchange of experiences with other people who are developing similar projects at different stages. Technical advice and the links with scientists, technicians and public officials in charge of project beneficiaries is given under a two-way process of mutual learning and seeking to strengthen self-management capabilities that inspires innovation at the different stages. The key to success of a participatory Approach lies in liberating and developing community leadership and self-organization processes.

Stages of implementation: The project is part of a regional planning context and a basin scale approach of intervention. The watershed of the site project is included in a special programme of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico which gives the opportunity of developing and financing a medium- to long-term project. The participatory process is delivered from planning, organizing, programming and implementing to financing, training, monitoring and disseminating the results. The greenhouse and nursery management, the technical assessment for the improvement of the agave forestry system, guidance with quality production of mezcal and marketing support to diversity products and sell them in order to make the project financially self-sustaining and profitable. All these stages range from short- to medium- and long-term.

Role of stakeholders: The government finances the project through grant resources, promotes the participation of beneficiaries and monitors it, seeking the management of resources and intersectoral participation. Scientists and academics share their knowledge, techniques and methodologies for implementation, improvement, evaluation and monitoring of each stage, and they support capacity-building of the community. The owners of the land and the community implement and develio each of the activities from building and maintaining the greenhouse and nursery, planting agaves, trees and shrubs, to the use and production of mezcal and other commercial products.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (Economical activity, Health, agriculture, wood, agaveforestry)

Rehabilitation of degraded land is done using native agave, trees, shrubs and grasses which creates over the medium-term (7-10 years) sustainable production of an alcoholic drink (mezcal) and/or pharmaceutical products and/or fodder for cattle and/or wood.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: Social and economic problems: Agriculture and livestock in the region are primarily for subsistence. The level of poverty and marginalization of the people of the project site is medium to high with low education levels. People need to migrate to the cities or outside the country to supplement the family budget. Prices of farmer productions are too low and do not allow economic survival. Therefore, only 10 to 20% of the total incomes are derived from agricultural products. This explains why the children of farmers do not wnat to become farmers and lands are less and less cultuvated. In correlation, as the livestock price is good and animals can be raised whth little input of time. Thus the number of animals is increasing and as they are grazing everywhere, they have a strong soil erosion impact.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	self-mobilization	Balance alternatives and take decisions to test the agave forestry
planning	interactive	Planning,organizing and programming the project, defining responsibilities, time and initial investment. Identification of agave seeds and a proper place to install the greenhouse and nursery.
implementation	self-mobilization	Building and maintenance of greenhouse and nursery, selecting the sites for the plantation and planting. Training of land users by other land users to produce mezcal according to quality rules for a recognized product.
monitoring/ evaluation	self-mobilization	In each field: monitoring plant growth, status of the protection against cattle grazing, indications of soil erosion.
Research	interactive	Monitoring by some land users of some parameters defined by scientists.

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Were decisions on the selection of the Technology(ies) made:

• by SLM specialists and by land users

Explain:

To answer the preoccupation of land degradation, poverty etc... by land users, the SLM specialits present alternatives which were analyzed, avaluated through field visit to actual producers, and then discussed and accepted by land users

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by mainly by SLM specialists with consultation of land users. Proposals of SLM specialists based on experiences from other projects

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users
• field staff/ advisers

If relevant, specify gender, age, status, ethnicity, etc.

none

Form of training:

• on-the-job
• public meetings

Subjects covered:

Training focused to explain which plant to select for seeds, how to create and maintain plants in greenhouses, how transplant them, and what is the strategy to plants them in the fields (border/production-trees/Agave...) Training for the alcohol production: management of the equipments, quality rules, tips, etc.. done by another mescal producer (small farmer) Training for annual herb

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields

Describe/ comments:

Name of method used for advisory service: Plant (native Agave, trees and herbaceous) production advises; Key elements: Plant selection, Management of plants under greenhouse, Field plantation design; 4. Process of the mature plants (Production of certified mescal, medicinal herbs...)

Advisory service is very adequate to ensure the continuation of land conservation activities; The extension system is very adequate to ensure continuation of activities

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, greatly

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• local

Specify type of support:

• financial
• capacity building/ training
• equipment

Give further details:

transport

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

area treated aspects were regular monitored by project staff, government, land users, other through observations

no. of land users involved aspects were regular monitored by project staff, government through observations

management of Approach aspects were regular monitored by project staff, government through observations

area treated aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements

economic / production aspects were regular monitored by project staff, government through measurements

economic / production aspects were regular monitored by project staff, government through observations

technical aspects were regular monitored by project staff, land users through observations

technical aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements

bio-physical aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements

bio-physical aspects were monitored by project staff, government through observations

There were few changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Too early to answer

There were few changes in the Technology as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Too early to answer

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• economics / marketing
• ecology
• technology

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

No information about condition of production of this agave species, especially to the sugar produce by the plant which will be used for alcohol production (better plant in the shadow or under direct sun? better old plants than young one? etc...). Effectiveness of soil control erosion system (density of Agave plantations on line of green walls...) have not been measured until now

Research was carried out on station

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 2,000-10,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: government: 80.0%; local government (district, county, municipality, village etc): 10.0%; local community / land user(s): 10.0%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Yes

If yes, specify type(s) of support, conditions, and provider(s):

Parts comes from UE research project (DESIRE) and main part comes from environmental taxes funds managed by SEMARNAT (Sec environment)

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• equipment

• agricultural

• construction

• other

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• paid in cash

Comments:

'PET' programs=payement in cash of local farmers for doing environmental works designed and directed by the SEMARNAT

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

The first step need external funds, but then, when the production will start, the beneficts will cover all the costs of management and extension to cover more surface

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Productive project which generates economic benefits over the medium-term (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: As a result of the money earned, it will be possible to extend the area concerned and subsides will not be necessary anymore.)
The project is done in a participative way where different kinds of stakeholders are involved: administrators, politicians, scientists and the public (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Maintenance of the interaction between stakeholders from the workshops, present results to other authorities and appropriate fora.)

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Selling alcoholic drink is not necessarily beneficial from a health and societal point of view	Maintenance of campaign to reduce consumption and develop a responsible attitude to alcohol.
Women particularly, are worried about the possibility of the increas in alcohol consumtion	Since alcoholic drink will be produced in a semi-industrial way for external market, it is not supposed to be consumed by the communities themselves.

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

DESIRE project Mexico partner (IRD 22)

Available from where? Costs?

http://www.desire-project.eu/