Mexican Institute Explores Using Sargassum as Livestock Feed, Urges Youth to See Farming as Economic Opportunity

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Researchers are investigating whether sargassum seaweed could be used as livestock feed, while an educational leader calls for young people to see agriculture as a sector with high economic potential to prevent migration from rural communities.

Carlos Rodríguez Rodríguez, director of the Instituto Tecnológico de la Zona Maya (Maya Zone Technological Institute), confirmed the research is underway but said the current challenge is convincing youth that farming offers viable career opportunities. He emphasized the need to “promote young people’s attachment to the countryside” to ensure they remain in their communities rather than migrating to urban and tourist areas.

The institute has seen a 10 percent increase in demand for education, particularly in agronomy, business management, computer science, and industrial engineering programs. Rodríguez noted that while migration to cities and tourist zones exists, most students return to their communities to apply their acquired knowledge on their own land.

He stressed that the key challenge is helping youth view farming as an income-generating activity and increasing awareness about food sovereignty through agricultural modernization.

Rodríguez acknowledged that while agricultural budgets have been reduced, resources still exist that could be better utilized. “The agricultural sector has undergone modernization processes, but certain paradigms persist that prevent further progress,” he said.

He pointed out that despite recommendations for using fertilizers and agroecological practices to produce healthier food for human consumption, not all producers are willing to adopt these methods due to concerns about achieving expected production levels. He reiterated the need to strengthen awareness among producers.

Regarding the sargassum research, Rodríguez said there is no defined timeline for completing the study, as researchers need to determine various factors including collection locations for the macroalgae due to potential heavy metal contamination in some areas.