A FUTURE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE? LABOR INSECURITY OF RURAL YOUTH WORKING IN COFFEE CULTIVATION AND TOURISM

Authors

Abstract

This study analyzes the situation of youth employment in two coffee growing communities of the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas.  Its objective is to examine the possibilities and limitations of coffee cultivation and ecotourism to provide a means of subsistence for youth.  A qualitative methodology with an ethnographic approach was used with 16 youth aged 15 to 35 who work with coffee cooperatives and local ecotourism projects in the Sierra Madre region of Chiapas and the community of Tziscao. Challenges identified included low profitability of coffee, job insecurity, seasonality of tourism, and limited access to financing.  We conclude that while coffee cultivation and ecotourism provide employment to many youth, structural obstacles limit their long-term stability and sustainability.

Key words: coffee cultivation, rural youth, job insecurity, tourism, occupational trajectory

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Author Biographies

Eduardo Bello Baltazar, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur

Doctor en Antropología Social por la Universidad Iberoamericana, es investigador titular de El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) en el grupo académico Estudios Socioambientales y Gestión Territorial. Su línea de investigación son las implicaciones sociales del manejo de los recursos naturales en temas como organización social y territorio, ecoturismo e innovación socioambiental. Es integrante del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI), nivel I.

Ana Minerva Arce-Ibarra, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar. Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa

Investigadora y docente de la Facultad de Ciencias del Mar. Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa. Sus líneas de investigación incluyen el cuidado comunitario de ecosistemas y territorios, los sistemas socioambientales, la valoración ambiental y las pesquerías (pesca artesanal y pesca recreativa).  Desde el 2010 pertenece al SNI y actualmente colabora como Editora Asociada en ‘Sociedad y Ambiente’ y en el Consejo Editorial de ‘Ciencia Pesquera’. 

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Published

2026-06-23

How to Cite

Patishtan López, S. E., Bello Baltazar, E., & Arce-Ibarra, A. M. (2026). A FUTURE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE? LABOR INSECURITY OF RURAL YOUTH WORKING IN COFFEE CULTIVATION AND TOURISM. POLIS México, 22(1), 183–212. Retrieved from https://polismexico.izt.uam.mx/index.php/rp/article/view/1021

Issue

POLIS México 2026 - I

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.