Tilapia aquaculture socioeconomic benefits in Mexico have been clear since the introduction of the species in the country in the 1960´s. In rural territories and their economies, they contribute at household level impacting both its poverty conditions and the nutrition of the house members. Results are shown from an ongoing study in the States of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Chiapas, which have the highest levels of poverty in Mexico. Measured as multidimensional poverty, there are fewer tilapia farmers in extreme or moderate poverty, compared with the general population values.
These results reinforce the relevance of public policy developed at territorial level, differentiated based on particular characteristics of the economic agents in rural areas, its relationships and externalities like market and climate change vulnerability. Prosperous and inclusive rural societies has been identified as one of the three priorities for Latin American and Caribbean countries, during the recently finished Regional Conference of FAO. In the necessary agrosystems transformation, there is no doubt that aquaculture consolidation for AREL and SMEs is critical, particularly tilapia aquaculture carried out in all the production systems found in these territories.