Popular Economy and the State: towards local governance to address environmental issues – the case of micro-enterprise denim washing in Ayecac, Tlaxcala

Abstract

The relationship between the popular economy and the Mexican state has been characterised, since the twentieth century, by a process that gradually acquired and increased its complexity in places and activities where common-pool resources (CPR), such as river waters, abounded. This phenomenon occurred in the context of a late industrialisation process that was far removed from the precautionary principle, which brought adverse effects mainly on the environment, health, and the economy of different regions and communities, including that of Ayecac. In response to these problems, in 1992 the Mexican state included, within the National Water Law (LAN), the figure of watershed councils as governance spaces aimed at the negotiation of different interests over the use of this resource. Nevertheless, more than 30 years after the creation of this figure, the environmental problems derived from industrial activity persist. Therefore, this work aims to explore new forms of governance at the local level. To this end, a documentary and field study is carried out which, through a qualitative approach, reviews the main perspectives on the popular economy. Likewise, interviews are conducted with the agents involved and surveys are applied to the general population, in order to capture perceptions that may generate proposals aimed at de-stigmatising the popular economy in the study area and transforming its relationship with the state to address the current environmental problems.