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

Summary 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.