CARACTERIZACIÓN DE SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN AGROPECUARIOS Y PATRONES DE CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS EN EL CANTÓN COLTA: PROVINCIA DE CHIMBORAZO.

This study was based on an analysis of the agricultural, socioeconomic and food production situation in Colta canton, Chimborazo province, Ecuador, focusing on the Puruhá indigenous community. Despite its high agricultural and livestock productivity, the region faces a worrying rate of poverty and malnutrition. The agricultural system, characterized by smallholdings and subsistence agriculture, reflects limited access to technology and technical assistance. Questionnaires identified four distinct production systems, each with its own socioeconomic dynamics. Food consumption patterns reveal a preference for low-nutrient foods, influenced by the mother's level of education. Despite contributing significantly to regional production, the paradox persists: high malnutrition rates in an apparently prosperous area. The need for comprehensive strategies that address both production and equitable access to nutritious food, along with local economic development and improvement of basic social services, to effectively combat poverty and malnutrition in rural areas is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]