Analysis of the economic situation of coffee production in the Zaruma canton in the period 2017 - 2020

Abstract

The present research addresses the analysis of the economic situation of coffee producers in the Zaruma canton, El Oro Province - Ecuador during the period 2017-2020. The scope of this research is descriptive, the tool used to obtain primary information was a survey with a sample of 50 coffee producers, which allows identifying the factors that affect the income of coffee producers in the Zaruma canton, which in recent years has ceased to be profitable and proposes a new way of understanding the role of the coffee sector in local economic development. Therefore, it is concluded that it is of vital importance to reorganize the coffee sector for producers to be more competitive in the international market. Three quarters of the coffee producers in the canton of Zaruma are between 55 and 60 years of age, and 70% of the productive units are led by men. More than half of the coffee production units are in the hands of small producers with a range of 1 to 5 ha. Given this context, 44% of the producers sell at $250 dollars per quintal of coffee, obtaining an average income of more than $1500 per hectare per year, reaching potential benefits for producers who adopted sustainability standards, including better trading conditions, as well as the value of preserving the environment.