Characterization of organic and conventional coffee (Coffea arabica L.) farms in the Intag area, Ecuador

Abstract

The cultivation of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in Ecuador is economically important for exports, and the Andean regions provide ideal conditions for high-quality altitude coffee. The objective of this study was to characterize coffee-producing farms in the Intag region, Ecuador. The study involved a population of 273 coffee farms, from which a sample of 116 producers was obtained. The survey included questions related to socioeconomic and technical aspects. A correspondence analysis using mutual information was conducted in RStudio to verify relationships between categorical variables. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis was performed using a generalized linear model with elastic nets (Machine Learning models) and cross-validation to separate numerical data to determine a logistic regression model. The results show that the coffee farms are mainly organic, organized, and associated, with small-scale farms, lack of technological innovation, and low yields. These farms exhibit a high diversity of crops through agroforestry systems, primarily Musa spp., Manihot esculenta C., and Alnus nepalensis D. alongside coffee. Additionally, livestock production contributes to increased family income and bio-inputs for the farms. The marketing system operates through two associations, one organic and the other conventional, focused on producing specialty coffees for local and international markets. The cluster analysis identified two groups: one with 84 organic farms (69 %) and another with 32 conventional farms (31 %). The first group cultivates Typica (45 %) and Bourbon (55 %), has better agroecosystem management, and uses beneficial microorganisms to combat pests and diseases, resulting in higher market prices due to organic certification.