Socioeconomic characterization of coff ee farms of the department of Nariño, Colombia

Abstract

The adoption of technologies generated for the coffee crop, depends to a great degree on factors such as the availability of resources and the produceŕs scholarship which determines the importance of socioeconomic conditions in the coffee productive system structure. The objective of this investigation was to analyze the main coffee groweŕs social and economic characteristics in the 220A and 221A Nariño Department ecotopes. 159 producers (86 from the ecotype 220A and 73 from the ecotope 221A), were selected randomly based on a sampling frame of 16.767 coffee farms, with the purpose of applying the survey questionnaire. In the statistical analysis, 58 categorical variables were used, they were subjected to a multivariate analysis using the multiple correspondence method and hierarchical classification analysis. The 220A ecotope was characterized by having coffee areas between 1 and 3 hectares, houses with eternit and zinc roofs, cement floors, electric power, aqueduct and sanitary unit. The performance is between 1.001 and 2.000kg.ha1, the cost of production is less than COP1.500,000 (USD44,83); the coffee growers attend training sessions and their family nucleus is made up of 4-7 people. In the ecotope 221A the houses with tile roof, cement floors, electricity, aqueduct and sanitary unit predominate; wastewater is disposed of in septic tanks. Good agricultural practices (GAP) aren t used, the yields are less than 1.500kg.ha-1 (dried parchment coffee) and the cost of production is less than $1.500.000 ha-1. year-1.