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<p>Agroforestry systems managed by Indigenous communities are increasingly recognized as socioecological systems that sustain livelihoods, biodiversity, and cultural practices under changing economic and environmental conditions. However, the interactions between economic, social, and subsistence dimensions that support their persistence remain insufficiently understood. This study examines how Business Factors (BF), Social Factors (SF), and Food Security (FS) shape the Economic and Financial Sustainability (EFS) of agroforestry households within the Amazonian Chakra system, a traditional Kichwa production system in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Using the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) framework and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), relationships among these dimensions were analyzed for a census sample of 100 producers. Results show that BF exert the strongest positive influence on EFS (β = 0.376, <i>p</i> = 0.007), followed by FS (β = 0.237, <i>p</i> = 0.048), while SF significantly influence BF (β = 0.578, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). In addition, BF mediate the relationship between SF and EFS (β = 0.217, <i>p</i> = 0.019), indicating that social organization contributes to economic sustainability through enhanced management capacity. These findings suggest that EFS should be interpreted as an indicator of the economic viability of livelihoods within a socioecological system, where market-oriented practices, food self-provisioning, and social organization sustain household stability. Rather than maximizing income, the Amazonian Chakra persists as a diversified livelihood system that reduces vulnerability while maintaining traditional ecological knowledge. These results support interpreting such systems as biocultural productive landscapes and highlight the importance of strengthening business capacities, food security, and collective organization to enhance long-term resilience.</p>

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Business Factors and Food Security as Key Determinants of Livelihood Sustainability in Amazonian Agroforestry Systems using a PLS-SEM Approach

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月20日

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  • Marcelo Luna,
  • Bolier Torres,
  • Patricia Ramirez,
  • Julio Muñoz-Rengifo,
  • Cristina Chancosa,
  • Francisco Enriquez

摘要

Agroforestry systems managed by Indigenous communities are increasingly recognized as socioecological systems that sustain livelihoods, biodiversity, and cultural practices under changing economic and environmental conditions. However, the interactions between economic, social, and subsistence dimensions that support their persistence remain insufficiently understood. This study examines how Business Factors (BF), Social Factors (SF), and Food Security (FS) shape the Economic and Financial Sustainability (EFS) of agroforestry households within the Amazonian Chakra system, a traditional Kichwa production system in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Using the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) framework and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), relationships among these dimensions were analyzed for a census sample of 100 producers. Results show that BF exert the strongest positive influence on EFS (β = 0.376, p = 0.007), followed by FS (β = 0.237, p = 0.048), while SF significantly influence BF (β = 0.578, p < 0.001). In addition, BF mediate the relationship between SF and EFS (β = 0.217, p = 0.019), indicating that social organization contributes to economic sustainability through enhanced management capacity. These findings suggest that EFS should be interpreted as an indicator of the economic viability of livelihoods within a socioecological system, where market-oriented practices, food self-provisioning, and social organization sustain household stability. Rather than maximizing income, the Amazonian Chakra persists as a diversified livelihood system that reduces vulnerability while maintaining traditional ecological knowledge. These results support interpreting such systems as biocultural productive landscapes and highlight the importance of strengthening business capacities, food security, and collective organization to enhance long-term resilience.