Abstract:The aim of the study was deepening the knowledge of livestock innovations knowledge on small-scale farms in developing countries. First, we developed a methodology focused on identifying potential appropriate livestock innovations for smallholders and grouped them in innovation areas, defined as a set of well-organized practices with a business purpose. Finally, a process management program (PMP) was evaluated according to the livestock innovation level and viability of the small-scale farms. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the impact of PMP on the economic viability of the farm. Information from 1650 small-scale livestock farms in Mexico was collected and the innovations were grouped in five innovation areas: A1. Management, A2. Feeding, A3. Genetic, A4. Reproduction and A5. Animal Health. The resulting innovation level in the system was low at 45.7% and heterogeneous among areas. This study shows the usefulness of the methodology described and confirms that implementing a PMP allows improving the viability an additional 21%, due to a better integration of processes, resulting in more efficient management.

Dual-purpose cattle smallholder farms (DP) exhibit a critical economic situation. The objective of this research was building a typology for DP in tropical conditions and characterizing them technologically. This will help developing more effective public policies in DP farms located in tropical conditions. A sample of 1.475 farms located in the tropical area of Mexico was selected. The typology was built using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Subsequently, five groups were identified by a hierarchical cluster analysis with Ward's method. Groups 1 and 2, covered a 46.5% of the farms; these ones presented a small-scale productive model with low levels of technological adoption, improvements were mainly associated to the area of reproduction and genetics. Very small farms (Group 3) showed orientation to subsistence. They need to improve all the technological areas. Groups 4 and 5 (29.4% of the sample) were the biggest and more specialized farms. Group four farms were located in dry tropics and showed the highest levels of technological adoption in the areas of reproduction, management, and feeding. These farms require improvement in the areas of reproduction, animal health, and feeding. Group 5 farms were located in the wet tropics and showed specialization in reproduction, genetics, and animal health areas. In this last group, it is necessary to improve management and feeding areas.

The low technology adoption rate is one of the major problems in very small dual-purpose cattle farms in Mexico. Using the social network analysis approach, we characterized the farmer leaders in the innovation network and deepened the knowledge on the low technological adoption causes. The sample consisted of 383 very small farms of dual-purpose cattle characterized by using nine reproductive management technologies. Our findings suggested that the network position of farmers had a significant impact on the technological level. Hence, the farmers farthest from the technology leaders showed the lowest levels of betweenness centrality index and high rates of constraint. Apart from this, advice, productive orientation, and intensification were also differentiating elements at the technological level. The findings provided relevant insights and useful tools to policy makers to better support, coordinate and enhance the adoption of innovation among smallholders.

Mixed crop-livestock farms are widely spread in different tropical regions in the world; they contribute to food security, rural development, sustainability and poverty alleviation. The effect of scale on performance of dual purpose (DP) cattle farms was evaluated in two Mexican ecological zones: dry (DT) and wet tropics (WT). In 2011, a questionnaire of 184 items distributed into technical and social characteristics was applied to a representative sample of 3,285 farms with 50 or less cows (0.97%). The farms were classified into three groups according to their dimension: very small (1-9 cows), small (10-19 cows) and medium (20-50 cows). A general linear model (GLM) with two factors and their interactions was applied. Significant effects in dimension and ecological zone were found as well as seven interactions between both factors (p<0.05). Native pastures were used in all farms for grazing. However, small farms' herds frequently grazed on cultivated pastures and on crop residues (p<0.05). Medium farms showed the highest grazing surface, but in the WT silage and green fodder were used while in the DT dry fodders were used (p<0.001). The interactions between factors showed a bigger specialization in milk production in DT farms, whereas WT farms were more specialized in meat production. The mixed crop-livestock system in tropic region requires an increase in herd size according to farm's own productive structure, which is strongly influenced by the ecological zone. The systems would improve with the active participation of smallholders to identify and achieve best practices, higher technological adoption level and with an effective support from public and private Institutions.Additional keywords: marginalization; subsistence; dual purpose; tropics; resilience. Abbreviations used: AU (animal unit); DP (dual purpose); DT (dry tropic); GLM (general linear model); UW (unit of work); WT (wet tropic).Authors' contributions: Conceived and designed the experiments: JRQ and JAE. Performed the experiments: JRQ, JR and JAE. Analyzed the data: AGM and JP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: EA, CPH and JR. Wrote the paper: AGM, JRQ and CPH.Citation: Rangel, J.; Espinosa, J. A.; De Pablos-Heredero, C.; Rivas, J.; Perea, J.; Angón, E.; García-Martínez, A. (2017). Is the increase of scale in the tropics a pathway to smallholders? Dimension and ecological zone effect on the mixed crop-livestock farms.

RESUMENUno de los objetivos estratégicos para FAO es disminuir la brecha de género en aras del desarrollo rural. El presente trabajo se planteó para conocer la percepción que tienen los productores del sistema de doble propósito ecuatoriano sobre las diferencias de género, tanto en el ámbito familiar como en la unidad de producción. Se tomó una muestra aleatoria de 132 unidades familiares-productivas del bosque tropical de Manabí. La información fue obtenida a través de una encuesta cara a cara, donde se preguntaron cuestiones relacionadas con el perfil socioeconómico de la familia, el sistema de producción y la percepción del papel de los distintos géneros. Los resultados muestran que existen importantes diferencias de género en el mundo rural ecuatoriano. Los productores tienen fuertes creencias en las diferencias sociales y biológicas entre sexos. El trabajo y rol de mujer es percibido únicamen-te relevante en el ámbito doméstico. Mientras que en la unidad productiva apenas asume responsabilidades. La toma de decisiones es exclusiva del hombre cuando se trata del ámbito empresarial; mientras que la mujer participa junto a él en decisiones del hogar, aunque nunca asume un papel predominante.The woman role in the Ecuatorian bovine double purpose systems SUMMARYOne of the strategic objectives for FAO is to reduce the gender gap in the interests of rural development. This paper was raised to know the perception that the producers of the Ecuadorian double purpose bovine have on gender differences both in the family and in the production unit. A random sample of 132 family-productive units of tropical forest from Manabi was used. The information was obtained through a survey related to socioeconomic profile of the family, the production system and the perception of the role of the different genders. Results show that there are significant gender differences in rural Ecuador. Producers have strong beliefs in social and biological differences between sexes. The work and role of women is perceived only relevant in the domestic sphere. While in the production unit just assume responsibilities. Decision making is unique to man when it comes to the business world; while women participate with him in household decisions.