Ecosystem Services in the Milpa System: A Systematic Review

The Milpa System is an ancient agroecosystem that has played a crucial role in Mesoamerican agriculture for over 9,000 years, particularly in Mexico and Central America. This system provides essential ecosystem services, such as food production, soil quality restoration, biodiversity conservation and the transmission of ecological knowledge. The objective of this systematic review is to inventory and analyse the potential ecosystem services provided by the Milpa System and similar maize-based intercropping systems. The review followed the PRISMA methodology, ensuring rigorous and reproducible research across studies published worldwide in English and Spanish between 2017 and 2023. The analysis included 47 studies that identified a total of 38 distinct ecosystem services. Amongst these, five provisioning services were identified, with 32 articles highlighting food provision. Twenty regulation and maintenance services were discussed, with biodiversity conservation being the most prominent, mentioned in 24 articles. However, cultural services were under-represented, appearing in only 12 articles. Despite the limited research on the Milpa System’s ecosystem services, particularly outside of Mexico, the findings underscore the system’s critical role in promoting agricultural resilience, ensuring food security and conserving biodiversity. This review emphasises the need for increased research to preserve and promote the Milpa System as a sustainable agricultural model that contributes to the well-being of both local communities and broader ecosystems.