Soils, the basis of agroecosystems, have been generated and continuously modified not only by the interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors but also by human activities, driven by local values and knowledge. The way different peoples relate to soil thus reflects diverse ways of knowing and being, and has a major effect on food and agroecosystems. However, the policies, regulations, and programs around fundamental components of the environment have been mostly developed from a monocultural hegemonic perspective, dominated by productivist and utilitarian values, with effects particularly in pluricultural countries like Mexico. 

with this study, 23 interviews in 8 communities to which some of our team members belong (Nahua communities in Veracruz, Masewalmeh communities in the state of Puebla, and a Zapotec community in the state of Oaxaca) were  performed with the aim to contribute to the understanding of worldviews, practices, and governance structures of some indigenous communities in relation to soils. It further reviewed the current regulations and major policies involving soils in Mexico and identified the main contrasts with the aspects we explored during the interviews.