Typification of the cattle farms in the mountain feet of Los R?os and Cotopaxi provinces of the Republic of Ecuador

Abstract

In order to establish tools for adopting sustainable alternatives for cattle production in the tropical mountain foot of the Republic of Ecuador, a participative non-experimental research system was developed in the Los R?os and Cotopaxi provinces. The methodologies of Ben?tez et al. (2000) and Torres (2005) were applied, as well as others of participative diagnosis. The sample included 60 farms, representing 30 % of those with more than five hectares, devoted to cattle rearing in the region. The cattle systems were typified and their effects on the environment were identified, as well as the needs for their sustainable development. The environmental degradation was associated with the application of production alternatives non-suitable to the environmental characteristics and to the absence of an adequate innovation management system, which considers the social and cultural situation. Three groups of farms were identified, being differentiated by the productive purpose, the land slope, the surface area under exploitation, the herd size and the mechanization level. The alternatives applied did not differ, except in few mechanized farms. Out of the demands identified, solutions were defined for sustainable cattle production. The methodology for the participative rural innovation and the sustainable cattle production of the region was adjusted. This methodology is recommended for the tropical mountain foot of the Republic of Ecuador, as long as the necessary controls are guaranteed to adjust the technologies to the corresponding conditions.
Key words: typification, farms, productive efficiency, technological alternatives, multivariate analysis, mountain foot.