Assessment of agroecological elements for the livelihoods of small scale households in a tropical region of Ecuador

Agroecology seeks a more sustainable and equitable agro-food system, capable of feeding the world's population while protecting natural resources and human health, and improving rural quality of life. This study aimed: i) to characterize gender-segregated livelihoods in terms of capital theory, ii) to determine the dynamics of agroecological principles at the farm level, and iii) to identify potential relationships between capital theory variables and agroecological elements. In the province of Los Ríos, Ecuador, a cluster and snowball sampling was applied to survey 114 Montubios farms (63 women-led and 51 man-led) using KoBoToolbox and KoBoCollect. The results revealed significant differences in total area and cultivation area (p < 0,05), with larger farms associated with older heads of households. Regarding agroecological performance, a trend toward statistical difference was observed for responsible governance (p = 0.091) and circular and solidarity economy (p = 0.061). High agroecological scores were associated with older household head, lower formal education levels, smaller household size, and the absence of off-farm income. These findings identify key socioeconomic and land-use drivers of agroecological performance and support the design of targeted agro-environmental and rural development policies to strengthen sustainable small-scale farming systems.