Can Multifunctional Landscapes Become Effective Conservation Strategies? Challenges and Opportunities From a Mexican Case Study

Protected Areas (PA) are the main strategy for nature conservation. However, PA are
not always efficient for ecological conservation and social wellbeing. A possible alternative for
conservation in human-dominated landscapes are Multifunctional Landscapes (ML), which allow the
coexistence of multiple objectives, such as nature conservation and resource use. Using the activity
system framework, we analyzed whether the ML concept was an operative alternative to PA within
an area of interest for conservation in Veracruz, Mexico. Activity systems refer to the set of productive
strategies that result from the mobilization of resources and which, within particular environmental
governance contexts, shape the landscape. To understand the challenges and opportunities of our
case study, we: (1) delimited the landscape according to local conservation interests; and (2) analyzed
the role of stakeholders in shaping this landscape. The delimited landscape included areas considered
wildlife reservoirs and water provisioning zones. Our results suggested that the existence of local
conservation areas (private and communal), combined with shaded-coffee agroforestry practices,
made this region an example of ML. Although local conservation initiatives are perceived as more
legitimate than top-down approaches, agreements amongst stakeholders are essential to strengthen
environmental governance. In specific socio-ecological contexts, ML can be effective strategies for
conservation through agroecosystems that maintain a high-quality landscape matrix, allowing nature
preservation and delivering economic benefits.