[Impacts of technological knowledge of small indigenous farmers on food availability in the Mexican southeast]. / Impactos del conocimiento tecnológico sobre la disponibilidad alimentaría de campesinos indígenas en el sureste mexicano.

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of technological knowledge (acquired in Farmer Field Schools) on the availability of food for poor indigenous farmers, who are mainly dedicated to the production of maize for home consumption in the Cuicateca regi6n, Oaxaca, Mexico. The variables analyzed were 1) Level of technological knowledge, 2) maize yield, and 3) time that the last maize harvest supplied the food needs of the farmers in question (a proxy indicator of food availability). A random sample of 36 participants in the rural training schools and a control group of the same size were given questionnaires at the beginning and end of their study. The statistical analysis was done using the Pearson chi-2 contrast test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. After finding that there was no normal distribution, the Wilcoxon test to contrast paired data was used, and finally, correlations were obtained. It was found that the increase in technological knowledge of 7.29 +/- 1.01 to 46.64 +/- 18.40 did not correlate (P > or = 0.05) with the time that the last maize harvest lasted in providing food. The results show that the increase in technological knowledge does not increase availability of maize as food.