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This work aims to analyze the level of access to public credit of small corn producers in the lake regions of Chapala, Pátzcuaro, and Cuitzeo in the state of Michoacán, within the framework of the neoliberal financial policy adopted in the years 1981-2022 compared to the post-revolutionary period. This productive sector is mainly characterized by having low economic income, little land area, and lack of equipment and machinery, and not being subject to credit, therefore, the members of this sector share the condition of exclusion from financing for production. The methodology used consisted of collecting historical information regarding the operation of public rural financial institutions created in the post-revolutionary period and the neoliberal transition that they experienced in the eighties. Also in obtaining data through the application of 611 surveys to identify some elements that explain the current exclusion from public credit of small corn producers in the lake regions of Michoacán. The results reveal that this productive sector has a low level of access due to the changes in public credit policy promoted by federal governments since the 1990s. These caused radical institutional modifications in the way agricultural credit operates and contributed to the current limited availability of public credit aimed at small corn producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetive: To determine the socioeconomic factors that affect the yield of the cocoa crop (Theobroma cacao L.) in Nicaragua. This research will contribute to provide information, precise and necessary to the design of projects and research focused to the needs and reality of cocoa crops smolholders. Methodology: A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) were performed. 28 social and economic variables were used. A survey in 2018 with a sample of 140 farms, from a universe of 923, was conducted, 23 communities located in the municipalities of Rancho Grande, Río Blanco and Matiguás in the North center of Nicaragua Results: The MCA results indicate that the correlated variables with the greatest impact were the change in yield and the support received by the producers. The decrease in yields is due to the lack of of support, but also to formal support, represented mainly as a acces to credit, the increase in yields occurs when informal support is received. Conclusions: The yield of cocoa changes according to the support received. Limitations: The research shows that cocoa production in the área of study is affected according to the type of support received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the history of oil palm in Mexico (1948-2018) within the wider context of Latin America. It reveals how oil palm was, possibly, first planted outside an experimental farm in Mexico by President Miguel Alemán on his ranch at Sayula (Veracruz) in the early 1950s. This history also shows how the State (a key player in Mexico's oil palm expansion) employed this crop as a strategy (first nationalist, later neoliberal) to push both peasants and nature into capitalist modernity in tropical frontiers that were exploited for national development. The article concludes by suggesting that monocultures should be understood not solely as economic projects (linked with dispossession and rural precarization), but also as cultural ones (geared towards making new subjects in line with market needs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural sector in Colombia faces significant challenges in terms of strategic planning and productivity, which translate into high rates of multidimensional poverty. According to the DANE, only 17% of the productive population receives technical assistance, and more than 85% are small producers, indicating that planning tools at the national and departmental levels suffer from ineffective implementation and their applicability is insufficient to drive significant growth in the national GDP indicators, which barely exceed 7%. It is important to highlight that in Colombia, there are few successful cases of associativity that achieve a prominent business level and fulfill the social purpose for which they were created. This is due to a lack of professionalism in the administrative management of resources and sound decision-making. It is crucial to understand that associations are businesses and, as such, must be managed to compete in the market and achieve sustainable annual growth, all in compliance with new government regulations, for which many associations are unprepared. Additionally, it is necessary to adapt to changes arising from tax reform, free trade agreements, and the commercial challenges of globalization dynamics. In this context, cooperativism has emerged as a strategy to generate value and productivity in the rural sector, contributing to the efficiency of production costs for its members, technification, and access to public-private cooperation resources. In my presentation, I will focus on this latter part, drawing on my work experience in the solidarity sector (associations and cooperatives). Considering multiple factors that influence the success of the associative model, I will prioritize the most relevant ones. The Colombian solidarity sector is fundamental and becomes an opportunity for the country's development, and it is in this context that territorial foresight with an agro-industrial focus gains great importance. In seeking to contribute professionally to the rural sector, the need arises to establish a differential cooperative model that has a significant impact on its development. The impact of this cooperative organization goes beyond improving the quality of life of its members, as it aims to meet the needs of the territories and community organizations by creating a useful and productive organization, facilitating the cohesion of community interests, thus strengthening governance systems, conflict resolution, and building trust to positively impact the action environment. These aspects, along with professional practices focused on administrative and economic systems, are fundamental to ensuring the sustainability of associative models. Additionally, special attention must be given to the transversal factors that ensure the viability of these models, such as marketing and setting fair prices. In summary, the solidarity sector plays a crucial role in rural development by promoting cooperation, sustainability, productive equity, and fair trade for the dignity of rural labor. A key factor for the success of the cooperative model is its ability to articulate with public, private, and ONG entities, which becomes a distinctive competitive advantage. However, it is essential to recognize the crucial role of the human factor, management, and leadership in understanding the needs of communities or organizations. This involves knowledge in budget planning, action plans, and investment evaluation, to measure the economic impact and return on investments made in agricultural organizations. It is essential to understand that economic sustainability does not solely depend on management and project formulation with external resources. Therefore, strategies for autonomy must be generated and continuous internal strengthening processes carried out. Experience in the associative sector reveals the diversity of cooperative and associative models, and public policies encourage rural communities to opt for this system to organize themselves. However, this model cannot function in isolation; professional leadership is required that understands, from a technical, administrative, and financial perspective. In a country with multiple needs in rural areas, such as generational succession problems, access road limitations, production costs, and labor availability, it is crucial that agricultural professionals recognize the opportunity to participate in administrative, financial activities, and project formulation. Rural entrepreneurship led by communities, which represent the majority, not only offers professional growth opportunities but also highlights the low economic valuation of professionals in this field. It is often perceived that the best professional scenario is found in the commercial activities of large companies, without considering that the Colombian rural sector possesses a great opportunity from the global food demand and conservation of productive activities. It is recognized that the Colombian productive sector is in a stage of evolution towards technification and specialization. Therefore, it requires interdisciplinary professionals accompanied by associative models to jointly enhance the sector's opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextualization: This research is focused on farmhand production systems in the hillside area of Palmira [Valle del Cauca], characterized by having small productive areas with perennial and short-cycle plants, and livestock systems with minor species. These systems are of great importance for the food security of the population, due to their diverse offer for the regional market. Knowledge gap: Farming systems are highly vulnerable to various external factors, such as market fluctuations and the weather variability that place them at risk. This research was based on the following question: how sustainable are the farming systems in the hillside area of the Municipality of Palmira Valle del Cauca? Purpose: Evaluate the agricultural sustainability of peasant systems in the Ayacucho district of Palmira [Valle del Cauca]. Methodology: Some attributes of thirteen prioritized peasant systems were quantified, using the Natural Resource Management Systems Assessment Framework, and incorporating Sustainability Indicators [MESMIS]. The data obtained from the survey and field visits were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate statistics of main components, using the statistical package R Studio version 3.0.1. Productivity, adaptability, stability, reliability, resilience, equity and self-management attributes were plotted using a radar-type diagram, with an evaluative range of 0-100%. The indicators per attribute were plotted as eigenvectors for the first two main components, establishing their degree of similarity through the accumulated variance. Results and conclusions: stability registered the highest value with 75.15%, indicating strengths in the land ownership and in the water supply in the area for agricultural production. The adaptability and self-management attributes registered the lowest values with 44.90% and 46.15%, respectively, indicating weaknesses such as high dependence on external inputs, technical ignorance about the integration of animal and plant components, as well as low level of associativity. The results obtained, using the MESMIS evaluation, allowed a holistic assessment of the peasant systems in the Arenillo village, and that made possible to identify critical aspects for developing improvements that lead to achieve the sustainability of these farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo fue analizar las características de las unidades de producción familiar ovina de dos municipios de la Mixteca Oaxaqueña teniendo como referencia el sistema de producción, acceso al mercado y el uso del territorio. Se usó una metodología mixta, empleando un cuestionario estructurado donde se analizaron variables de carácter socioeconómico y productivo; y observación participativa en 29 ovinocultores familiares. Los resultados señalan que el 100 % de los productores ven a la ovinocultura como principal fuente de ingresos, 86 % produce bajo un sistema de subsistencia, 100 % emplea la mano de obra familiar, la estrategia alimentaria principal es el pastoreo debido a las características del territorio y el tipo de tenencia de la tierra comunal en un 90 %, la función zootécnica es producción de carne destinada al comercio local y autoconsumo, 83 % de los productores cuentan con corral de encierro construido con material de la región, 86.7 % de los productores mantienen su corral dentro del predio familiar, se aplican escasas medidas de manejo y sanitarias. El análisis de los sistemas productivos permitió identificar formas de gestión de su producción la cual está ligada a los servicios dentro de su territorio, desarrollando una producción de tipo familiar que cumple con funciones económicas, sociales, ambientales y culturales, sin embargo, se cuenta con una baja productividad. Por lo cual, se considera necesario la adopción de tecnología e innovación a través de estrategias y políticas públicas que impulsen el desarrollo rural en zonas marginales tendientes a disminuir el nivel de pobreza e inseguridad alimentaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research develops a case study of a model of a Fair of small producers in urban spaces, discussing the implications of inclusive innovation processes from a regional food heritage perspective. Through gathering primary information, interviews and discussions with the protagonists and stakeholders, this study reveals innovation processes that have facilitated inclusive development taking into account the participation of rural small producers. The configuration of inclusive innovation processes has been evidenced by the assets, actors and the food community that have been created in the frame of the Fair. This has generated a new value to this initiative and has laid the basis for the consolidation of the Fair as a model that can be replied. The analysis allows us to affirm that the Fair constitutes a space for inclusive innovation due to it has built new networks with heterogeneous actors, it has capitalized various types of traditional knowledge and it has generated opportunities for small producers. From a cultural perspective, the regional food heritage that has been promoted by small producers in the Fair, has contributed to generating new capacities and opportunities in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooling of olives stored in containers with a capacity of 400 kg risk accumulation of respiration heat and subsequent fruit deterioration. Pre-cooling the fruit to 5 °C before cold storage was studied as a possible solution to overcome this obstacle. The fruit temperature within the containers was recorded daily for 14 days and oil was extracted at days 0, 4, 8, and 14. A second experiment evaluated a rapid pre-cooling procedure at -18 °C for 3 min. No significant alterations at the level of the examined parameters were recorded. The internal temperature of the control container declined and stabilized at around 12 °C. The temperature of the pre-cooled fruit increased to up to 8 °C. The examined parameters showed no significant alterations in either experiment and the rapid pre-cooling treatment did not lead to any visible 'chill injuries'. A pre-cooling treatment at 5 °C was successfully introduced at the farm of a small producer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The backup agreements are established between the supplier and the buyer to regulate the purchase of a good or service. The contract constitutes a backup inventory for the final purchase order and strengthens the commercial relationship between buyer and seller. The contract acts as a coordination mechanism in which parameters such as price, quantity, quality, and time are considered to improve the integration and coordination of the flows of resources, income, and information in the supply chain. On the other hand, in a decentralized supply chain, small producers represent the echelon with the lowest profit generated their economic activity, so this article studies small producer's income performance once implemented the backup contract, in a decentralized three-echelon small agricultural producers supply chain located in the Center of Valle Del Cauca. Systems dynamics is the strategy used for its analysis. Variables that affect small producers' income performance in the decentralized chain are identified and a causal diagram is elaborated. Also, two scenarios are studied using Forrester diagrams: Supply Chain without a backup contract and a second scenario with the Implementation of the backup contract. Finally, it is simulated in Vensim software, results are interpreted, and future supply chain performance is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insertion of transnational corporations in Mexico since the mid-1960s has led to growing inequalities between the agribusiness sector and agricultural populations in producing regions. This text examines the structure of agribusiness in this country, as well as the modalities it acquires in a southern region, in Chiapas. Through an actor-network perspective, the long-term process that entails the relative corporate dominance over small producers and other actors is highlighted, as well as the need for the former to establish a series of social relationships, spaces for articulation and negotiation with territorial actors to introduce their business projects. The study is based on consultation of documentary information, as well as on field trips during 2018 at the beginning of 2020. 15 producers, 4 marketing companies, 2 technical service provider companies and 4 researchers from different institutions were interviewed openly. It is found that agribusiness can affect the daily life of farmers and local production systems, sometimes without the need to nest, take ownership or direct control of tangible resources in the territory, since it resorts to long-distance supply operations, as well as using links with regional companies and state agencies. With this, it substantially modified the regional food system in which the small producer had participated until the mid-1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes whether the Small Producers' Symbol (SPP in its Spanish initials), is a method that helps to determine whether this coordinating mechanism is a better option for peasant participation in terms of capacity building and empowerment for peasant organizations. We based our work on a review of the literature, an analysis of the objectives and premises of the initiative as outlined on the SPP website and printed materials, as well as on fieldwork with SPP-accredited organizations in the Altos region of Chiapas. Theoretical discussion is based on contributions from various disciplines that study the interstices of globalization as a social process from multiple perspectives: economic, philosophical, consumption and marketing, social movements, and confidence building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study whose purpose was to evaluate the performance of the extension workers in charge of providing technical assistance to amaranthus producers within the agricultural extension program at Mexico City (CDMX) to implement technologies in their productions units that improve their productivity to increased yield and/or reduced production costs. The entities responsible for the program were the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), before (SAGARPA) and the Ministry of Environment and Rural Development (SEMADER) of the Government of CDMX. In addition, it was supported by two institutions; one dedicated to the training of rural producers and one of research, the first in the methodological part that fell to INCA Rural and the second, in the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP) that accompanied the extension workers in the part of research and innovation. Six technical advisers (extension agents) and a coordinator participated in the development of their activities in the town hall of Milpa Alta, Tlahuac and Xochimilco, where a population of 84 producers were directly assisted, which implemented 20 innovations in the primary links, transformation, commercialization, supply inputs and organization of producers. The technological innovations that were implemented for the amaranth crop had a small scope of application, because the number of extensionists assigned to the chain of such crop was very scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on the results of the diagnosis elaborated as part of the course «Field Practice» of Sociology of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the PUCP in the 2018-2 semester. It begins with a theoretical approach on associativity and small agriculture. A mixed methodology is proposed, collecting the perception of actors from the public, private and academic sectors, regarding the importance of this mechanism for the insertion of four agricultural associations of the Moquegua region in national and international markets. From the analysis of associativity and its relationship with capital - human, social, natural, physical, and financial - it is concluded that it functions as a driver of productive opportunities, but still faces challenges to make it a real option in the strengthening of small producers in Moquegua. In particular for the associations studied, natural capital (water or land) is a key factor for associativity, tradition and culture (social capital) serve as ties that foster trust in the group, and market opportunities supported by external agents that enhance the willingness to cooperate and associate. Finally, the institutional framework and the management capacity of these economic units will be decisive for considering associativity as a sustainable and development strategy for small producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the evolution and development of agrarian relations in Latin America, with emphasis on the present day. Relations between transnational food and agriculture corporations and Latin American small farmers are examined. Ecuadorian small farmers are taken as a case study which demonstrated that public policy fails to solve their problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigated agriculture provides jobs, increases production, productivity and crop yields. However, irrigation systems, especially the pressurized ones, demand electric power and expensive components, that hinders their use in small-scale cultivated areas or in situations of resources scarcity. Thus, the use of sustainable equipment made of accessible and recyclable material is one of the current alternatives to minimize expenses with irrigation systems. These devices are simple to make and can be used in community and school gardens, improving the productivity of small crops. In this way, this work aims to present sustainable irrigators developed by students of the extension project denominated "Equipment made with recyclable materials" and presented in an extension course taught at the VI Book and Library Week of the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus of Tupã, with the participation of students, employees and the community of the same institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most experts who study global trends in climate change agree that CO2 levels and temperatures show an atypical and sustained increase in recent years. The present study evaluated the simulated effect that would cause high levels of CO2 (380 and 420 μmol mol-1), temperatures (28, 30 and 32 ºC) and high levels of photosynthetically active radiation (14 levels between 0 and 2000 μmol m-2 s-1), and their interactions, on some important aspects in the physiology of three native species cultivated by small producers of La Mojana: creole eggplant, bogotano rice and cocoa. The light saturation point (PSL), light compensation point (PCL), maximum net photosynthesis rate (ANmax) and dark breathing rate (Ro) were determined. The results indicate that the native eggplant would be affected if the radiation reached 2000 μmol m-2 s-1 and the temperature rose to 30 and 32 ºC in either of the two environmental CO2 scenarios. Bogota rice showed a relative tolerance to high temperatures under normal or increased CO2 conditions. In cocoa, the physiological response was more sensitive and would be affected mainly at high temperatures. The results confirm that the photosynthetic stability in bogotano rice shows that it could adapt to high temperature conditions under the two environmental CO2 scenarios, while Creole eggplant and cocoa would be sensitive to high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of the Braconidae subfamilies in the cultivation of Chrysanthemum and edge vegetation in Las Pampitas (El Carmen, Jujuy) was studied. The study was conducted between august and november 2016 using 16 Moericke traps, eight located on Chrysanthemum plots and eight on the edge vegetation of three farms. We collected 95 braconids in nine subfamilies. The best represented taxa were the subfamilies Microgastrinae and Opiinae. It is necessary to deepen the identification of the braconidae to determine their potential in the integrated management of pests in cut flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 95 % of growers in the central highlands of Mexico are typified as smallholder farmers growing 3.10 ha of maize and 5.0 of amaranth. These crops are mostly grown following traditional technologies. The objective of this work was to identify the agricultural equipment used to grow amaranth and maize in the highlands of Mexico for purposes of improvement. Maize and amaranth growers from the states of Hidalgo, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala were surveyed in 2014 from March to September. According to results, the mechanization level is relatively low; only 12 and 22 percent of amaranth and maize growers, respectively, possess machinery. This is mostly due to economic constrains to acquire machinery. Other constrains are the reduction in productivity, increasing production costs and poor mechanization. To encourage the acceptance of amaranthus among farmers, it is necesary to mechanize the production process, mainly at harvest. For the case of maize, farmers consider investiment in machinery as unnecesary as it is expensive to acquiere and maintain it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have argued that rural extension and development processes need an interdisciplinary approach, one that includes contributions from different sciences, particularly social ones. In this context, social and community psychology have a great potential to address this topic. In spite of this potentiality, psychology has produced scarce useful contributions to rural development and to extension processes. Additionally, limited empirical support has been given to probe this potentiality, which makes this a theoretical argument. Thus, a cross-sectional, quantitative investigation was conducted in Argentina. An incidental, non-probabilistic sample was used, which included participants from all regions of the country. Rural extension agents working in the National Institute of Agrarian Technology, the ProHuerta Program and the Under secretariat of Family Farming of the Ministry of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fisheries were surveyed via email. Local authorities of these institutions helped the researchers to send and receive the completed surveys in different ways. The reply to the poll was voluntary. 219 completed forms (143 men and 76 women) were received, which represent 9.06% of rural extensions working in public institutions in Argentina. The survey included socio-demographic, closed questions, and open ones regarding the problems faced by rural extensions in their everyday practice and their expectations about Psychology as a mean to address them. In order to analyze the open questions, different categories of analysis were built and thoroughly described to cope with ambiguous cases, which were used to categorize all replies. In this process, grounded theory and Atlas Ti software were utilized. Next, these categories were transformed into dichotomist variables, expressing the presence of the category presence of the variable and its absence, the absence of the variable. Then all variables were incorporated to SPSS software, which allowed for the quantification of the results and the study of statistical relationships between different variables. The most important result of this investigation is that 88% of the Argentine rural extensionists working in the National Institute of Agrarian Technology, the ProHuerta Program and the Under secretariat of Family Farming consider that Psychology can contribute to solve at least some of the problems they face when doing rural extension. Interestingly, this represents a very high and unexpected percentage, given psychology is not a social science traditionally related to rural issues or settings. In consequence, it is clear that there is a potential demand for psychologists in the field of rural development processes, which is not being addressed. Additionally, the replies allowed for the description of the role psychologists should fulfill when working in this field, from rural extensions' point of view. They argue that psychologists could work with both, them and farmers. On the one hand, they could train, advice and provide with practical tools to rural extensionists. Additionally, they could take part in interdisciplinary rural extension teams. In practical terms, they could contribute in fields such as cooperative processes and group management, design and implementation of projects, understanding of small farmers' rationale, conflict resolution, lack of adoption of technologies, and scarce participation and commitment to development projects. On the other hand, psychologists also could work directly with small farmers, providing training in different topics, and managing groups, particularly in the case of participatory processes. Additionally, they could strengthen small farmers' self-esteem, a problem that rural extensionists related to passive attitudes and fatalism. To conclude, it is important to underline that, knowing this expected role, psychologists should start a dialogue with rural development agents in order to generate a shared conception of psychologist working in the field of rural extension, which includes both, psychologists' and rural extensionists' point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural area constitutes a key factor for improving the quality of life of small producers. We conducted a qualitative study on the problems of the Paraguayan rural area, focusing particularly on the department of Caazapá. To this purpose we conducted interviews with small producers, extension agents and institutions, which were transcribed and categorised according to contents. It was concluded that political-institutional dynamics play a leading role in the problem at hand; that poverty, the lack of fertility of the land and low agricultural productivity are phenomena that are part of a complex system, and that the implementation of transfer methods of rural extension constitute a key element in the problem under discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there is in Brazil, especially in Parana, the production chain of chicken meat has been undergoing major changes that have resulted in the reorganization of the production process, increasing productivity and product quality as well as diversification the scope of its consumer market. The significant numbers of the poultry sector in Paraná, as well as in other states, are reflections of the continuous technical improvement for chicken farming, as well as the successive changes in the social relation of subordination of the creators with the agroindustries, made possible, among others, the adoption of the integrated system production. The objective of this study reflect on the subordination of small landowners to agro-industries, is the system integration with smallholders, is merging two different processes (integration and poultry production in themselves). The poultry through integration system, has subordinated the production to the circulation and in this process of subordination of family labor will monopolize the territory. However, by introducing parallel to the integration system, the production company owned in aviaries, such action goes beyond the capitalist monopolization of territory, since they are signaling to the territorial capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the social and symbolic boundaries of the new winemaking configuration of Mendoza, Argentina, which resulted from its restructuration and globalization from the nineties onwards. We analyze the tensions and asymmetries that the new model generates, particularly from the perspective of wine producers, based on the so-called “east" of the province, which appears as a subordinate region in the current scenario. Our methodological approach combines elements of anthropology and sociology, based on extensive qualitative and quantitative field research and aiming to account for both the views and native categories of actors, and the structural dimensions in which they are inserted. The main results are linked to the increased social-productive vulnerability and the competitive difficulty of small wine producers in the face of new investments, and to the identification of internal borders in the sector, from what we call the quality/quantity tension that runs through it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the sustainability of development processes have increased in recent years as well as the definition of sustainability indicators. In Chile, these matters have been principally connected with environmental dimension and urban sectors. However, faced to profound transformations of rural areas today, concerns about the sustainability of rural areas and small farming practices have also increased. This article presents a system of sustainability indicators for rural areas with special emphasis in the social dimension. This system of indicators was built using to methodology that combined qualitative and quantitative approximations and suitable for the local level. The proposal was designed around five dimensions, subjects and indicators and was applied in a rural community in Central Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Guide of Good Practices for the dairy production elaborated by the regulatory organisms in Cuba does not exist. There is a lack of necessary requirements in the external documents for a country in which the hand milking practice in small producers' farms is predominant, also a common situation in other countries of the region. A Guide of Good Dairy Practices of Production for Cuba with 226 requirements was elaborated, gathering recommendations of other documents and also some criteria of experts. The components of the guide were classified by order of priority, established by its influence on the hygienic indicators and, therefore, of major importance for safety food. This classification is in use for recommending its application in a step by step way for facilitating the assimilation of so many requirements. The strategy of implanting the Good Practices by phases is designed in this document by four levels division of the requirements according to the defining priority [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Las Salinas Grandes contienen un mosaico de ambientes donde el agua, la vegetación y la fauna constituyen recursos de gran importancia para el desarrollo y reproducción social de las comunidades locales. En la zona de estudio se realiza cría de ganado caprino y bovino, con cargas animales relativamente bajas condicionadas por los factores hídricos y edáficos. Se realizó un diagnóstico rural rápido, endógeno a partir de talleres participativos donde se analizó con las comunidades sus problemáticas productivas, se relevaron aspectos sociales y económicos de las familias mediante encuestas estructuradas en forma individual y entrevistas no estructuradas a pobladores y agentes sanitarios. Se realizaron observaciones no estructuradas, conjuntamente con los pobladores, del estado de las viviendas e infraestructura productiva. Se observa que los márgenes brutos obtenidos a partir de ingresos prediales, extraprediales y autoconsumo, son considerables, superando los $ 1.600 por familia por mes. Estos ingresos son dados por la presencia de numerosos recursos naturales que permiten a los pobladores diversificar la producción y reducir riesgos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do peasants continue to survive despite the claims by social scientists of their imminent demise in the face of capitalism's advance? How important is the generational accumulation of knowledge in rural societies? How does such local knowledge become a part of survival strategies in peasant societies? To develop the theoretical framework used to approach a peasant community in Costa Rica (Central America), it was necessary to examine concepts that have been losing traction within academia but that nonetheless continue to have relevance for the everyday lives of Puriscaleño peasant households. The main conceptual tools that guided this studied were identified through a critical revision of different approaches to the study of peasant societies. Peasants and their production systems will remain significant in a future globalized world as providers of foodstuffs and other products, for their rich social and cultural traditions, and the way they manage natural resources. For these reasons, it is important to study peasant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mendoza, Argentina, more of 60 % of the agricultural producers has smaller estates of 10 ha, with productive models that do not reach the sustentability of the familiar group. This paper identifies actions that improve their socioeconomic situation at the present time, througt of variables of familiar income, level of association and some practice of management for make comparisions between groups. Studied a sample of farmers's of the Mendoza River. Farmers whose farms were smaller than 10 ha was inqueried with additional questonnaire in order to identify levels of association and their results. Vitiviniculture and olive growing was analyzed with more details, thought news questionnaire and deep interviews. The results show that 42 % of the farmers have got vineyards, 30 % are olive grower and 28 % are farmers that growing vegetables, fruits and flowers. The highest level of association was founded between grapevine growers. In the other activities is very low or null. Comparing groups, majors levels of poverty there are in farmers smaller than 10 ha and low technology. Furthermore in vitiviniculture, the smallest levels of incomes was founded in no associated farmers. Inside the population studied, poverty is greatest in salaried people than owners of farms. This paper identify to training has someone activity for improvement the social and economic situation of the farmers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to show striking aspects of the socio- spatial inequalities in the city of Sao Paulo: at one extreme, the favelas and at the other extreme, the gated condominiums. It shows the evolution of the population of greater São Paulo and that of the city itself and its pattern of spatial growth, namely the spread of the poor peripheral population. The population of the city is aging, although the spatialization of the age structure shows that all the population of the periphery is still younger. The association between income, education and place of living is clear" lower incomes and less education in the peripheral ring. The article also describes the formation of the city, its huge expansion in the 40s and its impoverishment at the turn of the century. The social segregation, previously confined to the periphery, is spreading to other parts of the city. The favelas are increasing, more gated condominiums arc being built even in poor neighborhoods. A remarkable characteristic of housig in São Paulo at the end of last century, is the growth of favelas and that of gated condominiums. The population of favelas represents more than 10% of the total population of the municipality and there were 2,500 new condominium units launched in 2000. The article solves Tha article belies some myths about favelas and condominiums. The favelas space is very similar to the urban space and its units are also in the housing market. Nevertheless, there are some peculiarities in the favela fabric. The proportion of formal employment in favelas is the same as that in the municipality. Favelas are rather different one from the other, be it in what concerns physical space or in the type of population. In what regards gated condominiums, they also house social groups of lower income Gated condominiums also house social groups of lower income, being found in the poor and polluted periphery. The absence of city authorities makes this urban space prone to misdemeanors. A similarity between the two extremes is the lack of democratic values, of respect for the law, of the right to come and go freely and the existence of public and equalitarian spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central subject matter of this work is the fact that initiatives of local development are not always created on the basis of strategic planification; on the other hand, individual and isolated actions carried on by different social actors conform a "critical mass" of facts, events, and new actors which thus creates an institutional net that inserts itself in the local development, with origin in the strategic concentration of the complete local society. The case analysed is located in the irrigation area of Rio Dulce in the province of Santiago del Estero (Argentina), where during 1987 was initiated the Project of Development of Small Goat Producers, managed by the Foundation for Development in Justice and Peace (Fundapaz), with funds of the Interamerican Development Bank (DB). These actions determined the establishment of a milk goats production system based on the rationalization of peasant production systems, that resulted in the most important milk area of the whole country. The work concludes with the affirmation that the new agro-industrial complex presents remarkable differences in relation to most other complexes when they are thought from a social perspective. This implies the utilisation and optimisation of local resources, in an effort to generate its own market, therefore building a specific territorial environment to use it later as a strategic way for international connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]