Social-ecological changes in traditional vanilla agroecosystems and their key role in biocultural landscape restoration

Abstract

Vanilla is a worldwide appreciated spice and an economically important crop in the tropics. The center of origin of vanilla production is the Totonacapan region in Veracruz, México. Until just over half a century ago, it was commonly grown as part of the agroforestry system dominating the landscape. Presently, this orchid is managed by the people that continue practicing traditional Totonac ecological knowledge. Overall, these conditions contribute greatly to conserve local biodiversity and ecological processes. In consequence, this study characterizes how traditional vanilla practices have changed over time by comparing the cultivation cycle, as well as the structure and composition of woody plants, traditional uses, and perceived socioeconomic value of current (2023) as well as old traditional vanilla management (1930–1970). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 28 producers aged between 55 and 98. Woody plant data were used to determine the composition and structure of current traditional vanilla plantations. The findings point out that merely a century ago, traditional vanilla management was characterized by woody plants’ diversity, in addition to a distinctive strategy where crops were rotated, while plant succession was managed. These practices resulted in a heterogeneous landscape that has disappeared over the past six decades, remaining only in the memory of a few traditional vanilla producers. Crops are no longer alternated, neither the soil nor the vegetation are allowed to recover, because rest periods are non-existent. This biocultural system maintains a structure and diversity of woody plants, valuable for producers. We assert that the characteristics of the old management such as native trees’ diversity, alternating crops and fallow periods could be key to revitalizing Totonac traditional ecological knowledge, by focusing on a biocultural landscape restoration, co-produced approach that could offer nature and people-based solutions to the environmental crisis.