Spatiotemporal dynamics of crime in Mexican agroecosystems and socioeconomic performance (2006-2022)

Resumen

Objective: To identify the spatiotemporal dynamics of the types of crime committed in Mexican agroecosystems and their relationship with the economic performance of Mexican states from 2006 to 2022.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study consisted of the following stages: 1) documentary research; 2) collection of data from official indicators and a hemerographic review of 292 newspaper articles; and 3) a statistical analysis for the evaluation of the information collected.

Results: The most frequent crimes in agroecosystems from 2006 to 2022 were homicide, kidnapping, and extortion. The most impacted productive components were livestock, avocado, and seed trade. The states with the highest criminal rates were Guerrero, Michoacán, and Sinaloa. Likewise, according to the statistical analysis, a decrease in socioeconomic indicators causes an increase in crime in the agroecosystems and vice versa.

Study Limitations/Implications: The information analyzed was obtained from newspaper reports, given the lack of statements or documents with official figures on the incidence of crime in Mexican agroecosystems.

Findings/Conclusions: According to theoretical approaches that consider crime as a fundamentally rational act (based on benefits and costs), crimes in agroecosystems increase as the indicators of economic development decline, and diminish as the economy grows. This phenomenon can be analyzed from a social and economic approach.