Family farming: prospects for rural development in the municipality of San Miguel

Abstract

The main objective of this work was to analyze family farming practices and living conditions in La Canoa, San Jacinto, El Volcán and El Brazo communities, in the municipality of San Miguel, El Salvador, considering the importance of agricultural activities for the community development. An exploratory design was used on an unknown or little-studied topic, so its results constitute an approximate vision of the phenomenon. The design was explanatory to understand how family farming practices improve living conditions in families. The results showed an agricultural system based on basic grains, particularly corn, which limits the diversity of production. It was defined that there is a low rate of assistance to production, likewise, there is a low rate of agricultural production initiatives. The Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) determined only 8.7% of families are in food security, 34.6% in mild insecurity, 22.8 in moderate insecurity and 33.9% in severe insecurity. Rural development in communities is associated with livelihood profiles; therefore, a weak agricultural system, characterized by a low rate of agricultural initiatives, gives way to conditions of food insecurity, deteriorating the quality of life of families in the rural area of ​​the municipality of San Miguel. Rural development in communities is associated with livelihood profiles. Therefore, a weak agricultural system, also characterized by a low rate of agricultural initiatives, gives way to conditions of food insecurity, deteriorating the quality of life of families in the rural area of ​​the municipality of San Miguel.