loading page

The agroecological transition of farms in the Ecuadorian Andes through the lens of The Main Agroecological Structure
  • Gabriel Sáenz Lituma
Gabriel Sáenz Lituma
Universita degli Studi di Padova Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile Edile e Ambientale

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile

Abstract

Agroecology has been addressed as one of the most prominent alternatives to achieve sustainability in agriculture, both for land and people. For this reason, academics, authorities, social leaders and organizations from many fields have urged a transition from modern conventional to agroecological agriculture. However, farms are complex systems, and this transition demands the transformation of a broad set of characteristics and practices that are a consequence of the farm administrator decisions. These are, in turn, conditioned by its specific context (social, educational, economic, political). Therefore, a clear understanding of the main drivers behind the management of farms is vital for supporting an effective transition, where the process remains stable and does not return to the previous state (conventional production) or reaches an alternative state (permanent degradation). For this reason, this research evaluated the Main Agroecological Structure (MAS) of 20 farms in different degrees of agroecological transition, in five locations of the northern-central Andean region of Ecuador. The farms had a moderately developed structure on average (71.05 over 100), and MAS variation was significantly related to the study site. One of the main differences between sites was a more extended prevalence of cooperation and development programs. For this reason, the author proposes that MAS measurements should be complemented with deeper analyses of the capacity-building background of each site. This study aims to establish a baseline of the MAS in Ecuador, and to provide new tools for monitoring agroecological transition.
14 Feb 2024Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
16 Feb 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Feb 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
19 Apr 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Major
27 May 20241st Revision Received
16 Jun 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
06 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
17 Jul 20242nd Revision Received
17 Jul 2024Submission Checks Completed
17 Jul 2024Assigned to Editor
17 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Jul 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
17 Aug 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Major
16 Sep 20243rd Revision Received
17 Sep 2024Submission Checks Completed
17 Sep 2024Assigned to Editor
17 Sep 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Sep 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
20 Oct 20244th Revision Received
22 Oct 2024Submission Checks Completed
22 Oct 2024Assigned to Editor
22 Oct 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Accept