Comercialization of traditional agriculture in highland guatemala and ecuador

Resumen

Within the past 30 years there have been striking local transformations in the character of traditional agriculture in the Latin American tropical highlands between Mexico and Bolivia. A visual survey of the highland rural landscape discloses a widespred expansion in the production of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and bedding and ornamental plants destined for urban markets at home and abroad. This is attributable to rapidly expanding urban populations and a concomitant demand for an array of agricultural products of highland origin. However, attempts to corroborate this development and the degree to which the small farm sector is involved are hampered by limitations in the availability of data. Horticultural activities tend not to be adequately censured because of the small scale of the enterprise. Additionally, the quality of data suffers because of complex associations involving physical circumstances as well as the intertwining conduct of subsistence and commercial agriculture. In order to portray the transition of traditional economies from dominantly subsistence to commercial activities involving the production of specialty or horticultural commodities, three illustrations are provided. Two of these involve sites in the highlands of southwestern Guatemala. Almolonga is an enclave that represents a long-standing involvement in the production of fresh vegetables. The second locale is the district of Ostuncalo-Concepcion-San Martin1 which has developed more recently as a major center for the production of potatoes. Finally, the Pelileo-Garcia Moreno district in the highlands of central Ecuador provides a setting in which peasants have been increasingly involved in the commercial production of alfalfa as well as temperate fruits and vegetables. Although the commercialization of agriculture is readily evident in each of these traditional communities, the inadequacy of data makes it difficult to establish with any degree of certainty the rate at which transformation in agriculture is occurring. Through the use of data acquired from national censuses and personal field surveys, an attempt is made to