Sustainable livelihood for farmers : A study presenting both challenges and opportunities for local small-scale farmers in Alluriquin, Ecuador

Abstract: The primary sector is of high importance to the economy and wellbeing of many countries. This is especially true for Ecuador, where 51 percent of the population living in rural areas earn their living through agriculture, livestock and fishing activities. Unfortunately, inequality has been growing between the rural and urban population, most noticeably in rural small-scale farmers that have less social capital and access to resources. Therefore, this study focuses on small-scale farmers, in a small town called Alluriquin, and how their way of farming can contribute to sustainable livelihoods. The empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews, where eleven different individuals have been interviewed. Previous research together with the theory of Amartya Sen will serve as the framework for this study. In Alluriquin, the results show that crops such as sugarcane, yucca, cacao, plantain and bananas as well as the big interest in both cattle raising and dairy farming, helps the locals to maintain a sustainable livelihood. It can be learned from the results of this study and previous research that farmers are facing a lot of different challenges on a daily basis, and even though they had different methods of dealing with these issues, the challenges seem to be manageable. The outcome of this study shows how these eleven individuals are able to maintain a sustainable livelihood, and how this way of farming is influenced by both internal and external factors that might be harmful if they are not considered. This way of life does provide the local community with a blueprint to follow so that they can guarantee their immediate wellbeing and prepare themselves and their families for any unforeseen circumstances, achieving sustainable livelihoods inside rural communities.