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The energy and food systems are interrelated. On the one hand, about 30% of the world's energy is consumed within agri-food systems, mainly in the post-harvest stage, when fossil fuels are used. On the other hand, energy is also responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions in these systems. Both must be transformed to meet the current and future demand for food and energy in a fair, environmentally sustainable, and inclusive manner, directed towards the co-production of these resources (International Renewable Energy Agency- IRENA and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations- FAO, 2021; FAO, 2011)., Proceedings in Food System Dynamics, PROCEEDINGS IN SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND INNOVATION IN FOOD NETWORKS 2023

The bivalve mollusk, Anadara tuberculosa (Concha Prieta), is found in the mangroves of the American Pacific, where it is subject to subsistence extraction. This article characterizes the performance of its value chain in Ecuador. A descriptive methodology of a quantitative type, non-experimental design, field, cross-sectional, and ex-facto was applied. Similar questionnaires were designed, validated, and applied to each link in the chain to collect information. It is concluded that there is a poor performance of the value chain with reduced productivity, loss of competitiveness, and deterioration of the participants' quality of life., Proceedings in Food System Dynamics, PROCEEDINGS IN SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND INNOVATION IN FOOD NETWORKS 2022

Mangroves are tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems that fulfill multiple beneficial functions for preserving life on the planet and the economic support of families living in their surroundings. Such is the case of the mangroves in Ecuador, in which the "Concha Prieta" (Anadara tuberculosa) is produced through the manual extraction of natural populations. However, this production system is threatened by deforestation and overexploitation. This research aims to formulate an agribusiness management model that impacts the A. tuberculosa's value chain performance levels using as validation tools the structural equations model. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, and ex-post-facto field research methodology was applied. The population under study was made up of the production chain participants, through a representative sample of 138 shellfish collectors, 12 managers of shellfish associations, 27 merchants, and 45 restaurants. The study was carried out in the Jambelí archipelago, in El Oro province, Ecuador, in 2019. Likewise, a questionnaire for each stage of the research was designed and validated through experts' judgment. The collected data were processed and analyzed through the structural equations model, using SPSS and AMOS software. The result obtained shows an interdependence relationship between both latent variables, with a covariance index of 0.45, which allows us to infer that as the processes integrated into Agribusiness Management are improved, higher levels are reached in the Performance components of the mollusk value chain and vice-versa. In particular, the exogenous variable Agribusiness Management is related to the endogenous variables mentioned below, with their respective factorial load: Evaluation (0.72); Process innovation (0.69); Internal factors of innovation (0.67); Planning (0.65); Execution (0.58) and External factors of innovation (0.38). Likewise, the exogenous variable Value Chain Performance is related to the endogenous variables mentioned below and their respective factorial load: Physical productivity (0.86); Economic productivity (0.83); Percentage indicator of net income (0.35); Operational profitability (0.21); Quality of life (-0.07) and Leadership in costs (-0.06). We conclude that the Agribusiness Management and Value Chain Performance constructs are interdependent and that the Physical Productivity and Evaluation indicators are the ones that have the most significant influence on this relationship. We recommend simulating these effects and relationships to propose improvement strategies to the said value chain., Proceedings in Food System Dynamics, Proceedings in System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks 2021

The Anadara tuberculosa in Ecuador called "Concha Prieta", is a bivalve mollusk that is obtained manually on the shores of the American Pacific Ocean, from northern Peru to southern Mexico. This artisanal business economically and socially benefits thousands of fishing families but also contributes significantly to the preservation of the mangrove swamp, one of the main ecosystems that produce blue carbon. The objective of this research was to characterize the management of agribusiness and the performance of the Anadara tuberculosa value chain. It was concluded that despite the low levels of agribusiness management, the performance of the value chain reaches an intermediate level, mainly due to the relevant characteristics of the Concha Prieta, the high demand in the Ecuadorian market and in neighboring countries., Proceedings in Food System Dynamics, Proceedings in System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks 2020