Socio-Technical Dynamics of Mexican Rural Extension: Systematizing Productive, Organizational, and Psychoeducational Shifts

Abstract

Research on rural development in Mexico has paid limited attention to the systematization of technical assistance within a socio-technical systems framework. This study critically evaluates the productive, economic, organizational, and psychoeducational impacts of rural extension programs in Mexico during 2022–2026, examining interactions among actors, institutions, and technologies. A qualitative systematic literature review with a structured documentary design examined eight peer-reviewed studies alongside institutional datasets published between 2022 and 2026. Evidence was extracted using thematic matrices and analyzed through content analysis and descriptive synthesis of reported econometric findings, including results from generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape and Bayesian additive regression trees. The reviewed evidence indicated a transition from linear technology transfer toward interactive socio-technical systems. Reported economic outcomes included an average 21% increase in smallholders’ net income and a 15% reduction in production costs. The synthesis also identified improvements in collective organization and gender equity, with women representing 58.2% of active program beneficiaries. These findings contribute to socio-technical transition theory and agricultural innovation systems by highlighting the interactive and multidimensional character of rural extension. The study concludes that extension programs should integrate multidisciplinary expertise, psychoeducational support, and financial components. Policy implications include securing sustained financing, revising university agronomy curricula, and strengthening territorial cooperatives to support long-term food sovereignty.