AGROECOLOGICAL PRODUCTIVE TRANSFORMATION WITH CULTURAL IDENTITY IN THE PROVINCE OF IMBABURA

Abstract

Current research identifies the factors that affect the agro-ecological productive transformation (APT) with cultural identity in the province of Imbabura - Ecuador which are the most important to design a healthy food production system. The current system is detrimental to the environment due to the contamination of natural resources, to consumers suffer adverse effects on health and small producers experience low profitability. 

Changing this situation requires a high degree of innovation based on the existing competitive advantages of the territory, which must articulate a strategy that facilitates the transition based on four variables or components (Cultural Identity CI, Business Management BM, Institutional Innovation II and Technological Development TD).

Thirty-four dimensions of the variables (7 CI, 10 BM, 11 II and 6 TD) were investigated in 1312 farmers in the rural territories of the province, and a logistic regression model was used to identify their relationship with APT being these: 1.- the elimination of illiteracy with the improvement of the level of schooling 2.- associativity in the pursuit of quantity and quality 3.- non-agricultural income, 4.- connectivity 5.- technical services such as irrigation. By means of a marginal effects analysis, the most likely to have an impact on the APT were identified as follows: 1.- Technified irrigation (17.42%), 2.- Extra agricultural incomes (11.26%), 3.- Connectivity (10.28%), 4.- Credit (10.26%), 5.- Telephone coverage (7.03%), of lesser impact are roads, level of education and size of the Agricultural Production Unit (APU). Technological development and business management are the variables that most influence the agro ecological productive transformation of this important economic activity in the territory.