Inadequate food and nutrition affect human well-being, particularly for many poor subpopulations living in rural areas. The purpose of this research was to analyze the factors that determine the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) in the rural area of the Paute River Basin, Azuay Province, Ecuador. The sample size of 383 surveys was determined by a stratified random sampling method with proportional affixation. Dietary diversity was measured through the HDDS, with 12 food groups (cereals; roots and tubers; fruits; sugar/honey; meat and eggs; legumes or grains; vegetables; oils/fats; milk and dairy products; meats; miscellaneous; fish and shellfish) over a recall period of 7 days. A Poisson regression model was used to determine the relationship between the HDDS and sociodemographic variables. The results show that the average HDDS of food consumption is 10.89 foods. Of the analyzed food groups, the most consumed are cereals; roots and tubers; fruits; sugar/honey. In addition, the determinants that best explain the HDDS in the predictive model were housing size, household size, per capita food expenditure, area of cultivated land, level of education, and marital status of the head of household. The tools used in this research can be used to analyze food and nutrition security interventions. Furthermore, the results allow policymakers to identify applicable public policies in the fight against hunger.

Abstract:The institutional reform of the State established in Ecuador during the last decade has aimed at regaining control of specific sectors such as the consumptive use of water. Since 2014, regulation, consumption, and use of water, especially in agriculture, have been analyzed through policies and fiscal instruments. This research presents itself in the context of the simulation of scenarios using positive mathematical programming, to analyze the economic impact of pricing policies on agro-food farms. Policies of fixed costs, water blocks, and volumetric prices are evaluated. The results show that the existing fixed costs do not reduce water consumption. In contrast, the scenarios of water blocks and volumetric prices impact on the behavior of farmers. The tendency of water consumption to the application of volumetric prices demonstrates that banana farms have a greater tolerance to the increase of water costs. On the other hand, the response to an increase in cost in the case of cacao, sugar cane, and rice depends on the productivity of farmers. The negative effects can lead to the abandonment of agriculture. Thus, volumetric policies are more efficient in reducing water consumption as well as in recovering the costs of the irrigation system.

La estructura agraria en el Ecuador tiene una marcada diferenciación debido a la tenencia y acceso a la tierra. El crecimiento de la producción pecuaria dentro de las pequeñas y medianas explotaciones ha sido constante en los últimos años, así como la feminización del campo. En la serranía del Ecuador, estos procesos pueden observarse con mayor detalle, especialmente en aquellas provincias que se encuentran en el centro del país. Esto ha motivado a analizar la dinámica de los pequeños productores de las provincias de Chimborazo, Cotopaxi y Tungurahua, por medio de la aplicación de una encuesta a 793 agricultores, donde se revisan las características socio-productivas relacionadas con la producción de leche de ganado bovino. Algunos resultados demuestran que, comparativamente, la producción de leche se concentra entre las extensiones de 0,5 y 1 hectárea, siendo la provincia de Tungurahua en donde existe una mayor distribución de acuerdo al tamaño. Finalmente, se concluye que, la concentración de la tierra ha influenciado a una reducción del número de unidades bovinas, incidiendo directamente sobre los ingresos familiares, provenientes de la producción lechera, que en este caso no superan el 40% la remuneración básica mensual. del Ecuador.

Agriculture worldwide faces the need to reduce chemical pesticides and produce healthier food. In Latin America, research on the organic food sector primarily focuses on supply. Consumption analysis is crucial for providing information about customers’ needs. This paper aims to analyze the Ecuadorian organic food sector, which is an interesting case for investigating the relationship between willingness to consume organic food and socioeconomic factors. To this end, 382 consumers were surveyed. The study applied a logit regression analysis to assess the role of socioeconomic factors in the willingness to consume organic food. Radar diagrams depict the percentage of respondents who checked a particular reason for choosing or refusing organic food. A cross-location comparison analysis was applied to identify differences between locations within the Central Ecuador region. Results reveal that Ecuadorian consumers’ awareness rate of organic food is only 53.5%. Regarding organic food’s price, 24% of consumers perceive it to be overly expensive. Based on strengthening the supervision of organic food production, various channels should be used to promote organic food consumption and facilitate the recognition of available organic food.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar comparativamente la dieta alimentaria de familias del sector urbano y rural de los cantones Ambato y Píllaro, respectivamente, mediante la aplicación de indicadores de alimentación saludable. La población de estudio para la zona rural fue de 56 agricultores de las parroquias que conforman parte del proyecto de Escuelas Agroecológicas, en el cantón Píllaro, mientras que para la zona urbana se estableció una población de 220 individuos mayores de edad residentes en Ambato. Los resultados alcanzados indican la composición de una dieta diversa de alimentos, especialmente frutas, verduras y hortalizas. Por otra parte, en la zona urbana, productos como arroz, azúcar y pan presentan frecuencias de ingesta de cuatro o más veces por semana. El conocimiento sobre agroecología por parte de los pobladores rurales representa 71%, mientras que 75% de los individuos de la zona urbana afirman conocer y tener predisposición al consumo de productos orgánicos. Finalmente, el índice de alimentación saludable indica que la población urbana necesita cambios en la dieta al haber alcanzado una puntuación de 45,5, mientras que la alimentación de los agricultores, calificación, calificada con 79,5, se perfila como saludable.