Abstract

PURROY-VASQUEZ, R. et al. Energetic and economic efficiency, family welfare and productivity in tropical agroecosystems. agric. soc. desarro [online]. 2016, vol.13, n.4, pp.513-527. ISSN 1870-5472.

The food security of a rural family and of a country is linked to agricultural and livestock activities, and these must be carried out in equilibrium to reach sustainable development; this includes an adequate management of the energetic, economic and environmental resource within the Agroecosystem (AES). The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between efficient use of energy, economic efficiency, productivity of agroecosystems, auto-consumption, and the line of minimum family welfare in the municipality of Paso de Ovejas. The production costs and income were calculated for each agricultural/livestock activity in the AES and then the indexes of economic efficiency and energy use were determined. The cultivation of sugar cane showed low productivity; however, this crop contributes 0.61±0.42 of the coverage proportion of the line of minimum welfare, as a result from the incentives that the sugar plant offers sugar cane producers. Of maize production in the hill zone, 15 % is used for human autoconsumption and 16 % for animals. Only the milk in liquid or transformed (cheese) form participates in auto-consumption, for which 4 % of the production in the irrigation zone and 5 % in the hill zone are destined. The agroecosystems with greater surface and with irrigation capacity are directed at crop sowing of high energetic yields, such as sugar cane in combination with cattle breeding to improve economic efficiency. This productive activity allows the rural family to afford temporary financial situations, since it functions as family saving, concluding that the producers implement combinations of productive activities in their agroecosystems, according to the availability of natural and financial resources, achieving differentiated coverages with regards to the line of minimum welfare.

Keywords : agroecosystems; energy; line of minimum welfare and poverty.

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