Agroextractivism and land grabbing in the production of Agave tequilana Weber Blue variety in Penjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico

Historically, tequila has been one of the preferred spirits in Mexico. Since 2018, tequila production in this country has grown exponentially. One of the main reasons is the capital investments, by multinational alcoholic beverage corporations towards the main Mexican tequila companies. The entry of multinationals facilitated the positioning of tequila in international markets and increased demand. The commercial logic of corporations has impacted the amount of agricultural, forestry, and rangeland land for the plantation of Agave tequilana Weber blue variety, in local productive dynamics, in customary agreements of access to land, causing techno-productive, economic, political, social, environmental and cultural in the territories where the monoculture plantation is carried out. This article analyzes the problem from political ecology, directing attention towards agroextractivism and land grabbing via leasing and sharecropping in the municipality of Penjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico. The methodology involves field trips, participant observation, interviews, georeferencing of the plots, and statistical and documentary analysis. It is concluded that agroextractivism and land grabbing for agave plantations accentuate economic, territorial, political, and environmental inequality at a local scale and affect pre-existing activities, such as grain production and livestock farming.