Exploring the Impact of Biodigesters in San Juan de Abajo, Mexico 

Mexico faces an annual loss of approximately 280,000 hectares of forest due to environmental degradation from agriculture posing serious challenges to both the community and the broader ecosystem. In San Juan de Abajo, a vital agricultural center in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, the Huichichila stream and its surrounding landscape play a crucial role in local farming. However, the expansion of agriculture is threatening biodiversity and leading to significant ecosystem loss. This project seeks to explore the impact of biodigesters in the San Juan de Abajo region as a sustainable solution to environmental challenges caused by agricultural practices, by evaluating their adoption within the community. Biodigesters convert organic waste into biogas and digestate, a nutrient rich biofertilizer that can be used in agricultural applications. The adoption of biodigester projects is influenced by the community’s willingness to take ownership of the project, sourcing of feedstock, and distribution or sale of biogas and biofertilizer, demonstrating a complex system unique to each community. The research aims to understand how different factors influence the biodigester project’s impact on the social system and natural environment of San Juan de Abajo.