Market Provisioning and the Conservation of Crop Biodiversity: An Analysis of Peasant Livelihoods and Maize Diversity in the Guatemalan Highlands

This paper queries the common assumption that market linkages contribute to the loss of agricultural biodiversity, thereby threatening long-term food security. Drawing upon empirical data collected from two villages in the Guatemalan highlands, it documents how various types of market engagements are related to the on-farm conservation of maize diversity. While some market activities are associated with lower measures of diversity, most forms of market provisioning-including the allocation of resources to market production-are not. The quantity of land controlled by farmers is positively correlated with maize diversity and is an important determinant of their participation in the market economy.