Environmental, economic and social challenges, in some participants of the value chain of the timber sector of Puebla, Mexico.

Abstract

The Mexican forestry sector faces huge challenges, such as overexploitation, illegal logging, deforestation, lack of governmental subsidies, and irregular agricultural growth, reducing forest competitiveness. This study discusses the capability of forest enterprises to adapt to the environmental, economic, and social challenges in the VII district of Tehuacan and Sierra Negra (Black Mountain) in the State of Puebla. We used a mixed, exploratory, and transactional research design. In 2021, we selected by convenience three agents in the forest value chain: 16 wood producers (sawmills), 12 wood stores (or wood retailers), and 38 final wood consumers (carpentries and builders´ operators). According to each agent, we administered a semi-structured face-to-face survey that included demographics, environmental, organizational, economic, and social attitudes and perceptions. The results show that the more benefited agent during the COVID-19 were the producers (44%); additionally, producers along carpentries are mainly family businesses (75% and 92%, respectively). The three groups surveyed are willing to adapt to economic challenges; nevertheless, their capability to face environmental and economic development is reduced in the long run. The producers try to maintain the forest, but they do not find any external support (technical or financial). In the social aspect, the participation of men prevails (women were found participating in in the wood stores, 23%); the final consumer (carpentries and building operators) have low interest in the legal origin of the wood (42%), and are more aware of the wood price (58%). Future research should consider increasing the sample size using random sampling and studying other wood sectors in and outside Mexico.