Local production systems in family farming: Advances and prospects for sustainable rural development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61347/psa.v4i2.170Keywords:
Agrifood sustainability, family farming, local production systems, sustainable rural development, territorial innovationAbstract
Local production systems and family farming constitute strategic components of agrifood systems and sustainable rural development in Latin America and the Caribbean, where they face structural limitations related to financing, technology, connectivity, and market access. This article aimed to analyze the advances and prospects for sustainable rural development of local production systems linked to family farming in the region. A descriptive study was conducted based on a narrative and analytical review of scientific literature and institutional reports published between 2014 and 2026. The results revealed significant gaps in access to formal credit, technological adoption, and digital infrastructure; however, they also identified opportunities associated with productive innovation, agroecology, digitalization, and the strengthening of territorial public policies. International projections indicate that future agricultural production growth will depend mainly on improvements in productivity, efficiency, and technological innovation, positioning family farming as a relevant actor for food and territorial sustainability. Based on the evidence analyzed, an integrated conceptual framework is proposed, structured around three levels: micro-territorial, meso-institutional, and macro-structural, which enables the understanding of the interaction between productive capacities, cooperation networks, and public policies as determining factors of sustainable rural development.
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