Análisis comparado de las fuentes de renta de dos comunidades rurales en Paraguay y Colombia

Abstract

The modern production processes generated by commercial agriculture, exert a strong influence on small farms; so, when they don’t have the means and resources to adhere this process, they are encouraged to develop survival strategies associated with other income generating activities, which can take a significant percentage of their gross income. The sale of labor, social transfers and the contributions generated by self-sufficiency exercises acquire a lot of effect in relation to agriculture. This work aims to provide a perspective on the plurivalence of rural territories and the need to understand them as scenarios of deep economic dynamics, driven by intangible values, essentials for social reproduction and sustainable production. Through a comparative analysis of composition and income sources of two rural communities, located in the district of Escobar, Paraguarí Department, Paraguay, and municipality of San Juan de Arama, Meta Department, Colombia. For this purpose, in addition to the bibliographic review, field data collection was used with the application of a survey. An instrument developed by the Group of Studies and Research on Family Farming in Latin America of the Federal University of Latin American Integration. Some results indicate the existence of 5 main sources of income, the value of non-agricultural activities and the achievement of negative financial years due to agricultural activities in some families.

Keywords: Income sources, family farming, rural community.