Current Status and Conservation Strategies of the Local Varieties of Carica Papaya in the Yucatan Peninsula

Resumo

The Yucatan Peninsula is a living repository of biodiversity, where Maya communities have historically played a pivotal role in cultivating, preserving, and transmitting deep knowledge about the sustainable management of natural resources, especially fruit species. This research analyzes the current situation of the conservation status, traditional uses, and ecological and economic significance of two local varieties of papaya (Carica papaya) “cera amarilla” and “mamey”. To this end, it conducted semi-structured interviews and complemented with participant observation of 16 producers located in the states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo who cultivated these two local varieties in addition to the commercial variety Maradol. The results obtained suggest that the producers have a deep knowledge of the varieties, despite having limited academic training in the field, and acknowledge the cultural, medicinal and ecological importance of their conservation. However, the results identified three important challenges that hinder their preservation and cultivation, lack of market, low productivity compared to commercial varieties, and lack of interest of younger generations in getting involved in their cultivation. Therefore, this research suggests that there is a need to establish comprehensive strategies that combine traditional knowledge of agriculture with innovative approaches, promoting the development of adequate markets, strengthening government support, and the participation of local communities to ensure the preservation of the “cera amarilla” and “mamey” papaya varieties.