HOW READY IS THE EJIDO TO TAKE UP THE CHALLENGES?
In the short term, the main collective decision-making body within the ejido is the assembly: decisions are made according to the will of the majority. In the post-revolutionary era, this design parameter was intended to enhance participation and formal democracy. However, there is evidence that it has often resulted in suboptimal decision-making. Decisions on issues common to the whole ejido are often biased by an overall short-term focus and by the strong or dominant influence of a limited number of especially powerful members. The pattern of the decision-making process in the organization seems to be stuck in a vicious circle. As mentioned above, from 1947 to 1991, the industry-dominated forest management provided few incentives for farmers to become involved in forest management issues, and they drew most of their livelihood from agricultural activities (growing crops and raising animals). As a result, farmers engage in very limited ways in the decision-making processes of the ejid
