100
In the case of San Luis Potosí, the state government detected in 2015 that the
“altiplano” only contributed to 6.4% of the state’s gross domestic product, since
most of the population engages in temporary agriculture focused on subsistence
farming (SDSR 2016). Under this logic, agroindustrial development was guided by
adopting technologies, genetic improvement, and an increase in the installed capacity of crop production units, under a system of contract farming (GESLP 2018a).
Thus, the reproduction of a trend towards standardizing and transnationalizing technological policies is observed. In this process, the government becomes an advocate
for the adoption of these technological packages, ignoring the socio-environmental
circumstances that prevail in the regions (Tudela 1989).
According to official data, between 2015 and 2018, protected agriculture enabled
the creation of 2238 jobs and allowed the installation of greenhouses for green chile
and tomato production. The state became the second largest producer of the latter
nationwide in 2018 (GESLP 2018a). These figures seem to justify the promotion of
a new form of production, which is compared with the apparent inefficiency of traditional forms of production. This new model promotes employment, training, the
reduction of uncertainty for producers, and increased income across the population
(GESLP 2018b). However, these events do not guarantee a better quality of life and
restrict the type of dryland adapted production, mainly benefiting the market economy through outsourcing.
1
Likewise, the adoption of renewable energies was prompted by the altiplano’s
natural features (GESLP 2018a). San Luis Potosí is located in the region called “the
solar belt,” where capturing 5% of the irradiation received in the state would sustain
energy consumption for the entire country (GESLP 2018b). Theoretically, this climate resource would contribute to regional socio-economic development because it
would help to achieve the goal of generating 35% of the country’s energy through
renewable sources by the year 2024.
In this context, the installation of a solar energy plant in the municipality of Villa
de Arriaga was projected at the end of 2018, and another solar farm would be added
in Villa de Ramos in 2019. In addition, two wind farms in Charcas and another in
Santo Domingo municipalities have been built. According to the technical study, the
installation of the electric transmission line for the Dominica project alone, in
Charcas, would entail a loss of vegetation coverage of 65,149 ha, of which 10,024 ha
would experience a permanent loss. In addition, the removal of 134.3 m
3
of soil and
3072 m
3
of earth movement is calculated (MIA n.d.).
1 According to the third state government report, for 2018, the production of barley, soybean, and
sunflower crops under the contract farming system has been promoted by guaranteeing the sale of
the harvest at a set price and by backing it up with different government support such as technical
assistance, technology packages, and production incentives. In the spring–summer 2017 cycle,
12,489 ha of barley was harvested in Villa de Arriaga, with a value of 47.9 million pesos for the
benefit of 1336 suppliers to Grupo Modelo México. Under the same model, producers in the
municipalities of Cerritos and Guadalcázar cultivated 786 ha of sunflower under contract with the
company AAK México S.A. of C.V. at a price of 7100 pesos per ton, for a total of 4.8 million pesos
(GESLP 2018a).
L. Ortega and J. Morán
In the case of San Luis Potosí, the state government detected in 2015 that the
“altiplano” only contributed to 6.4% of the state’s gross domestic product, since
most of the population engages in temporary agriculture focused on subsistence
farming (SDSR 2016). Under this logic, agroindustrial development was guided by
adopting technologies, genetic improvement, and an increase in the installed capacity of crop production units, under a system of contract farming (GESLP 2018a).
Thus, the reproduction of a trend towards standardizing and transnationalizing technological policies is observed. In this process, the government becomes an advocate
for the adoption of these technological packages, ignoring the socio-environmental
circumstances that prevail in the regions (Tudela 1989).
According to official data, between 2015 and 2018, protected agriculture enabled
the creation of 2238 jobs and allowed the installation of greenhouses for green chile
and tomato production. The state became the second largest producer of the latter
nationwide in 2018 (GESLP 2018a). These figures seem to justify the promotion of
a new form of production, which is compared with the apparent inefficiency of traditional forms of production. This new model promotes employment, training, the
reduction of uncertainty for producers, and increased income across the population
(GESLP 2018b). However, these events do not guarantee a better quality of life and
restrict the type of dryland adapted production, mainly benefiting the market economy through outsourcing.
1
Likewise, the adoption of renewable energies was prompted by the altiplano’s
natural features (GESLP 2018a). San Luis Potosí is located in the region called “the
solar belt,” where capturing 5% of the irradiation received in the state would sustain
energy consumption for the entire country (GESLP 2018b). Theoretically, this climate resource would contribute to regional socio-economic development because it
would help to achieve the goal of generating 35% of the country’s energy through
renewable sources by the year 2024.
In this context, the installation of a solar energy plant in the municipality of Villa
de Arriaga was projected at the end of 2018, and another solar farm would be added
in Villa de Ramos in 2019. In addition, two wind farms in Charcas and another in
Santo Domingo municipalities have been built. According to the technical study, the
installation of the electric transmission line for the Dominica project alone, in
Charcas, would entail a loss of vegetation coverage of 65,149 ha, of which 10,024 ha
would experience a permanent loss. In addition, the removal of 134.3 m
3
of soil and
3072 m
3
of earth movement is calculated (MIA n.d.).
1 According to the third state government report, for 2018, the production of barley, soybean, and
sunflower crops under the contract farming system has been promoted by guaranteeing the sale of
the harvest at a set price and by backing it up with different government support such as technical
assistance, technology packages, and production incentives. In the spring–summer 2017 cycle,
12,489 ha of barley was harvested in Villa de Arriaga, with a value of 47.9 million pesos for the
benefit of 1336 suppliers to Grupo Modelo México. Under the same model, producers in the
municipalities of Cerritos and Guadalcázar cultivated 786 ha of sunflower under contract with the
company AAK México S.A. of C.V. at a price of 7100 pesos per ton, for a total of 4.8 million pesos
(GESLP 2018a).
L. Ortega and J. Morán