SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Climate-Smart Food Systems
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1604520
NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS IN COFFEEAGROECOSYSTEMS IN MEXICO: EVALUATION FOR ADOPTION
Provisionally accepted
- 1National Autonomous University of Mexico, México City, México, Mexico
- 2Chapingo Autonomous University, Texcoco, México, Mexico
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Nature-based solutions (NbS) are currently being developed in various coffee agroecosystems. However, not all actions can and should be considered NbS. For this reason, two research questions were posed in this study: What are the challenges (problems) and criteria (definitional prerequisites for NbS) that NbS must meet to be considered in traditional coffee agroecosystems in Mexico? What indicators (measurable elements) can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of NbS? To answer the posed questions, a rapid systematic review was conducted in three search stages. The first stage identified the global challenges and the criteria established to date for an action to be considered NbS. The second stage focused on identifying the main NbS challenges and criteria that address the different coffee agroecosystems in Mexico. The third stage focused on identifying useful indicators to assess the effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in the Mexican coffee sector. The articles obtained at each stage were systematized using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and analyzed with the Systematic Review Accelerator software, following Creswell's framework. It was found that shade coffee agroecosystems in Mexico currently address 12 NbS challenges (including integrated water management, climate resilience, environmental degradation, or biodiversity loss) and meet 14 of the 18 NbS criteria. The type of agroecosystem management influenced the degree of compliance with the established criteria; therefore, its effectiveness needs to be assessed. This research proposes forty-eight indicators to assess the effectiveness of NbS in the Mexican coffee sector. The selection and adjustment of indicators carried out in this work can help fill the information gap that currently exists in Mexico. Latin America and the Caribbean face significant challenges, including climate change, deforestation, pollution, and social inequality. NbS can contribute to mitigating these challenges and promoting sustainable development. However, they require rigorous planning and management to ensure their effectiveness and durability, and policymakers are invited to take a closer look at this issue.
Keywords: coffee agroecosystems, NbS effectiveness, NbS evaluation methodologies, NbS standards, social, environmental, and social challenges
Received: 02 Apr 2025; Accepted: 17 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 RUIZ, Monterroso and Conde. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Cecilia Conde, National Autonomous University of Mexico, México City, 04510, México, Mexico
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