Análisis económico y valoración de principios de agricultura regenerativa en sistemas de producción de maíz: casos del Bajío, de Guanajuato.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22231/asyd.v23i3.1784Keywords:
agricultura regenerativa, costos de producción, labranza de conservación, maíz, rentbilidadAbstract
Conventional production systems contribute to soil degradation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and declining productivity. In contrast, well-managed agricultural land can have a positive environmental impact. Regenerative agriculture (RA) emerges as an alternative that aims to transform food production while restoring ecosystems. However, farmers often hesitate to adopt RA practices due to a lack of empirical evidence regarding their benefits and profitability. This study aims to compare the profitability of maize production across different systems, assess the extent to which management practices align with RA principles, and identify factors that facilitate the transition toward a regenerative approach. Data were collected and analyzed on maize production under three systems: Conventional, RA-oriented, and Conservation Tillage. The analysis included mechanical operations, costs, yields, profits, and the assessment of four RA principles. Findings show that RA-oriented units have the lowest production costs while maintaining yields comparable to other systems. They use minimal machinery and implement practices that partially align with RA principles. Factors such as lower investment requirements, competitive productivity, environmental benefits, and access to reliable information may support the shift from conventional agriculture to a regenerative model.
References
Akplo TM, Yemadje PL, Imorou L, Sanni B, Boulakia S, Sekloka E, Tittonell P. 2025. Minimum tillage reduces variability and economic risks in cotton-maize rotations in Northern Benin. Field Crops Research, 324. 109795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109795
Austen N, Tille S, Berdeni D, Firbank LG, Lappage M, Nelson M, Helgason T, Marshall-Harries E, Hughes HB, Summers R, Cameron DD, Leake JR. 2022. Experimental evaluation of biological regeneration of arable soil: The effects of grass-clover leys and arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculants on wheat growth, yield, and shoot pathology. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13. 955985. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.955985
Beacham JD, Jackson P, Jaworski CC, Krzywoszynska A, Dicks LV. 2023. Contextualising farmer perspectives on regenerative agriculture: A post-productivist future? Journal of Rural Studies, 102. 103100, 9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103100
Bless A, Davila F, Plant R. 2023. A genealogy of sustainable agriculture narratives: implications for the transformative potential of regenerative agriculture. Agriculture and Human Values 40. 1379–1397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-023-10444-4
Brown G. 2018. Dirt to soil: one family’s journey into regenerative agriculture (Primera ed). London, UK: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Elrick W, Luke H, Stimpson K. 2022. Exploring opportunities and constraints of a certification scheme for regenerative agricultural practice. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 46(10). 1527–1549. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2022.2121950
FAO. 2022. Agricultura de conservación. https://www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture/over-view/what-is-conservation-agriculture/es/
FIRA. 2023. Agrocostos. https://www.fira.gob.mx/Nd/Agrocostos.jsp
Foladori G, Pierri N. 2005. ¿Sustentabilidad? Desacuerdos sobre desarrollo sustentable (Primera ed). Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas: México.
Frankel-Goldwater L, Wojtynia N, Dueñas-Ocampo S. 2023. Healthy people, soils, and ecosystems: uncovering primary drivers in the adoption of regenerative agriculture by US farmers and ranchers. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7. 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsu¬fs.2023.1070518
Gómez LF, Ríos LA, Eschenhagen ML. 2015. El concepto de sostenibilidad en agroecología. Revista U.D.C.A Actualidad & Divulgación Científica, 18(2). 329–337. https://doi.org/10.31910/rudca.v18.n2.2015.157
Gordon E, Davila F, Riedy C. 2023. Regenerative agriculture: a potentially transformative storyline shared by nine discourses. Sustainability Science, 18(4). 1833–1849. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01281-1
Gosnell H. 2022. Regenerating soil, regenerating soul: an integral approach to understanding agricultural transformation. Sustainability Science, 17(2). 603–620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-00993-0
Hansen JW. 1996. Is agricultural sustainability a useful concept? Agricultural Systems, 50(2). 117–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/0308-521X(95)00011-S
INEGI. 2010a. Compendio de información geográfica municipal 2010 Irapuato Guanajuato. https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/app/areasgeograficas/compendio/Guanajuato/11017/mgm11017.pdf
INEGI. 2010b. Compendio de información geográfica municipal 2010 Pénjamo Guanajuato. https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/app/areasgeograficas/compendio/Guanajuato/11014/mgm11014.pdf
INEGI. 2010c. Compendio de información geográfica municipal 2010 Valle de Santiago Guanajuato. https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/app/areasgeograficas/compendio/Guanajuato/11035/mgm11035.pdf
INEGI. 2020. México en Cifras. Censo de Población y Vivienda (CPV) 2020. https://www.inegi.org.mx
Jaworski CC, Krzywoszynska A, Leake JR y Dicks LV. 2024. Sustainable soil management in the United Kingdom: A survey of current practices and how they relate to the principles of regenerative agriculture. Soil Use and Management, 40(1). 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12908
Jordon MW, Willis KJ, Bürkner PC, Haddaway NR, Smith P y Petrokofsky G. 2022. Temperate Regenerative Agriculture practices increase soil carbon but not crop yield—a meta-analysis. Environmental Research Letters, 17(9). 16–19. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8609
Kersey JH, Shekhar S, Dowell L, Krzic M, Smukler SM. 2024. 25-years of stewardship programs enhance regenerative outcomes in river delta soils of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Geoderma, 443. 116808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116808
Khangura R, Ferris D, Wagg C, Bowyer J. 2023. Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health. Sustainability, 15(3). 1–41. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032338
LaCanne CE, Lundgren JG. 2018. Regenerative agriculture: Merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably. PeerJ, 6(2). 1–12. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4428
Manshanden M, Jellema A, Sukkel WHGJ, Hennen WHGJ, Jongeneel R, Brazao A, de Miguel Á, de Vos L, Geerling-Eiff F. 2023. Regenerative agriculture in Europe: an overview paper on the state of knowledge and innovation in Europe. Wageningen: Wageningen Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.18174/629483
Miller-Klugesherz JA, Sanderson MR. 2023. Good for the soil, but good for the farmer? Addiction and recovery in transitions to regenerative agriculture. Journal of Rural Studies, 103. 103123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103123
Mogaka H. 2023. Effects of Regenerative Agriculture Technologies on the Productivity of Cowpea in the Drylands of Embu County, Kenya. Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 11(1). 190–198. https://doi.org/10.18006/2023.11(1).190.198
Montgomery DR, Biklé A, Archuleta R, Brown P, Jordan J. 2022. Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming. PeerJ, 10. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12848
Ntawuhiganayo EB, Nijman-Ross E, Geme T, Negesa D, Nahimana S. 2023. Assessing the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices in Eastern Africa. Frontiers in Sustainability, 4. 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1105846
O’Donoghue T, Minasny B, McBratney A. 2022. Regenerative Agriculture and Its Potential to Improve Farmscape Function. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(10). 5815. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105815
Pérez L. 2021. Agricultura regenerativa: Aliada para un futuro sostenible. Revista de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, 47(2). 155–158. https://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/xmlui/bitstream/handle/20.500.12123/10164/RIA_VOLUMEN47_n2_p.155-158.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Rehberger E, West PC, Spillane C, McKeown PC. 2023. What climate and environmental benefits of regenerative agriculture practices? an evidence review. Environmental Research Communications, 5: 052001. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acd6dc
Sands B, Machado MR, White A, Zent E, Gould R. 2023. Moving towards an anti-colonial definition for regenerative agriculture. Agriculture and Human Values, 40. 1697–1716. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-023-10429-3
Schreefel L, Schulte RPO, de Boer IJM, Schrijver AP, van Zanten HHE. 2020. Regenerative agriculture – the soil is the base. Global Food Security, 26. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100404
Schreefel L, van Zanten HHE, Groot JCJ, Timler CJ, Zwetsloot MJ, Pas Schrijver A, Creamer RE, Schulte RPO, de Boer IJM. 2022. Tailor-made solutions for regenerative agriculture in the Netherlands. Agricultural Systems, 203. 103518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103518
SEMARNAT. 2019. Suelos. Informe de la situación del medio ambiente en México 2018. México. https://apps1.semarnat.gob.mx:8443/dgeia/informe18/tema/pdf/Cap3_Suelos.pdf. pp. 175–217.
Servicio de Información Agroalimentaria y Pesquera (SIAP). 2024. Producción Agrícola. https://www.gob.mx/siap
Van Eerd LL, Chahal I, Peng Y, Awrey JC. 2023. Influence of cover crops at the four spheres: A review of ecosystem services, potential barriers, and future directions for North America. Science of the Total Environment, 858. 159990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159990
Voisin R, Horwitz P, Godrich S, Sambell R, Cullerton K, Devine A. 2024. What goes in and what comes out: a scoping review of regenerative agricultural practices. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 48(1). 124–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2023.2270441
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Flor Selene Escalante Aguirre, J. Reyes Altamirano-Cárdenas, Manrrubio Muñoz Rodríguez, V. Horacio Santoyo Cortés, María Angélica Buendía Espinosa

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal accept the following conditions:
- The authors retain the copyright and transfer to the magazine the right of the first publication, with the work registered with the Creative Commons attribution license, which allows third parties to use what is published as long as they mention the authorship of the work and the first publication in this magazine.
- Authors may make other independent and additional contractual arrangements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the article published in this journal (e.g., including it in an institutional repository or publishing it in a book) as long as they clearly indicate that the work It was first published in this magazine.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to publish their work on the Internet (for example on institutional or personal pages) before and during the review and publication process, as it can lead to productive exchanges and greater and faster dissemination of the work. published (see The Effect of Open Access).









