Sostenibilidad de los sistemas de producción de la agricultura familiar en la parroquia Honorato Vásquez del cantón Cañar

Abstract

Family farming systems need methods that consider sociocultural, environmental, economic and political aspects. This is achieved through the use of indicators associated with each dimension and attribute, which facilitates sustainability analysis. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the sustainability of family farming production systems in the Honorato Vásquez parish of the Cañar canton. The methodology used included the application of surveys to collect information on 294 agricultural properties. For characterization and classification, 39 variables grouped into three dimensions were considered: social, economic and environmental. Likewise, 20 indicators were evaluated that diagnosed the quality of the soil and the health of the crops on each farm, which allowed the analysis of the sustainability of the systems. Cluster methodologies were applied for classification and specific relationships were examined. The sustainability of the systems was determined using the amoeba method. The results showed the presence of two types of systems in the social and environmental dimensions, and three types in the economic dimension, along with relationships between variables. It was identified that 22.1% of the farms are highly sustainable (7.7), 70.4% have a moderately high level of sustainability (6.1) and 7.5% show a low level of sustainability (4.8). Proposals for improvement were proposed that address social, economic and environmental aspects, as well as the quality of the soil and crops. These actions allow promoting the sustainable development of family farming in the Honorato Vásquez parish.