Abstract

BUSTILLO GARCIA, Lissette et al. Degree of sustainability of rural development in subsistence, intermediate, and comercial farmers, under an autopoietic view point. Rev. Cient. (Maracaibo) [online]. 2009, vol.19, n.6, pp.650-658. ISSN 0798-2259.

The degree of sustainable rural development in Rural Development District 006, La Antigua, Veracruz, Mexico was compared under an autopoietic view point. During August 2007, 30 subsistence farmers, 20 commercial farmers, and 30 farmers managing operations having both objectives (intermediate to the two extremes) were interviewed. Farmers were selected using three predetermined criteria: level of interaction with institutions, diversity of farm production, and innovation of management practices. The energy efficiency statistical analysis showed differences (P<0.01) among groups, the intermediate group, which are sugar cane growers, was the most efficient (4.62 ± 1.4) than subsistence (2.01 ± 0.7) and commercial operations growers (2.56 ± 0.8). On the other hand, commercial operations growers showed high ecological cognition (3.01 ± 0.1) compared to subsistence (2.65 ± 0.1) and intermediate (2.77 ± 0.1); commercial operations growers were youngest and with higher educational level compared to other groups. The well-being economic index was higher (P<0.01) in the commercial operations growers (1.61 ± 0.1) than in subsistence (1.46 ± 0.09) and intermediate (1.52 ± 0.1). The sustainable agricultural management index was similar between commercial operations (1.46 ± 0.2) and intermediate growers (1.42 ± 0.1). Degree of sustainable rural development, was different (P<0.01) among the three groups, with the intermediate group achieving the most (2.58 ± 0.3), followed by those from commercial operations (2.16 ± 0.2), and subsistence farming (1.85 ± 0.1); this showed the high influence of energy efficiency index. It was found autopoietic process in the three groups; however, none of the socio-cultural reproduction is intended for achieving autopoietic process for sustainability. The subsistence farming group repeat process to survive, the intermediate group reproduced the submission to agroindustry plan, and the commercial operations farmers followed the logic of increasing their income, even thought they are not energy efficient.

Keywords : Autopoietic; agroecosystems; energy efficiency; ecological cognition.