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Abstract
This paper analyzes the participation of small farmers in the fresh fruit and
vegetable supply systems of supermarkets in Mexico, using the case of small-scale guava
farmers in the state of Michoacán. Several findings emerge. The most important determinants of
access of these farmers to “more modern markets” channels are their territorial context and the
way in which those territories interact with different markets, and their quasi-fixed capital assets.
Farm size, education, and participation in organizations are not significant determinants (except
for farm size in the Central Region). Policies and projects aimed at promoting the inclusion in
modern markets of small-scale farmers such as those producing guava in Michoacán, must act on
the territorial dimension of the problem of inclusion/exclusion, and not restrict themselves to
actions aimed at improving the supply chains or the capacities of the households or their farms
and organizations.