Assessing sustainability in Puebla’s artisanal mezcal production: Insights from a composite indicator approach

Objective: To assess the sustainability of the artisanal mezcal production system in the state of Puebla using composite indicators. Methodology: A sample of 42 producers and their artisanal mezcal production facilities, known as palenques were selected using the snowball sampling method. Data were analyzed using variance analysis (ANOVA), multivariate analysis, and regression analysis. The SAFA framework (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture) guided the selection of 17 indicators grouped into the economic, social, and environmental dimensions, to derive a Composite Sustainability Index (CSI) of each mezcal production unit. Analysis was conducted for the entire sample and clusters generated through cluster analysis. Result: The average CSI for artisanal mezcal production (and its standard deviation) was 0.45 (0.2033), comprising economic (0.596, 0.2366), social (0.398, 0.2161), and environmental (0.437, 0.196) dimensions. ANOVA revealed significant differences in CSI between groups. The highest value of the CSI was obtained in the group of high-scale producers (0.539), followed by medium-scale (0.427), and low scale producers (0.393). Conclusions: Artisanal production systems demonstrate low sustainability levels, impacted by limited training, excessive agave usage, and minimal recycling practices for inputs.