Why do maize–legume intercropping systems in the changing agricultural landscapes of the Yucatán Peninsula show high agroecological potential but limited adoption?

Abstract

Maize ( Zea mays L.)–legume intercropping systems are widely promoted as sustainable strategies to improve productivity and ecosystem functioning in smallholder farming systems across Mexico; however, a fundamental question remains unresolved: why do systems with demonstrated agroecological potential continue to experience limited adoption in the changing agricultural landscapes of the Yucatán Peninsula? Despite well‐documented benefits, existing research often treats these systems as stable and widely adopted, overlooking structural transitions toward monocropping and declining participation of younger farmers that threaten their long‐term persistence. Moreover, the literature remains fragmented across agronomic, ecological, and socioeconomic dimensions, limiting understanding of the factors influencing system performance and adoption. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge by examining maize–legume intercropping as dynamic socioecological systems undergoing transition. It integrates evidence on agronomic performance, ecosystem services, and farmer decision‐making while highlighting trade‐offs among productivity, sustainability, and management complexity. Available evidence indicates that high agroecological performance alone is insufficient to ensure widespread adoption because farmer decisions are also shaped by labor requirements, economic risks, market opportunities, and changing livelihood strategies. A generational perspective further illustrates how rural socioeconomic change may influence the persistence of traditional intercropping systems. We propose a conceptual framework linking farmer decisions, management practices, biophysical interactions, ecosystem services, and system outcomes to explain how ecological and socioeconomic processes jointly influence adoption trajectories. By explaining the disconnect between agroecological performance and farmer adoption, this review provides a broader basis for future research and sustainable intensification strategies in the Yucatán Peninsula and across Mexico and Central America.