Agricultural identity of Indigenous Salasacas in Ecuador

Abstract

Latin America’s Indigenous are as varied as the place they live in and focus on past, beliefs, and culture. In Ecuador, the Indigenous Salasacas are famous for being strict in their cultural preservation, language, customs, agricultural practices, and costumes, which are considered unique. This ethnographic study aimed to understand the Salasacas’s agricultural identity across different generations and reports the experiences and perceptions of 12 Salasacas participants. Participants reported that many Salasacas have changed from agriculture to other economic activities, such as textiles, due to the limited agricultural programs and the influence of Hispanic culture. Participants informed the researchers that cultural pride and unity are fundamental Salasacas traits. They encourage new generations to continue studying to overcome racial issues with academic preparation. Program implementers must know how to honor Indigenous knowledge while introducing new knowledge and consider participants’ characteristics, such as age and gender, which is imperative for successful outcomes.

Rural youth migration intentions in Ecuador: The role of agricultural education programs

“…Other studies have shown the potential of agricultural education to reduce young people's intentions to migrate (Rhoda, 1983). When encouraging agricultural education as a future career path, the growing and acute trend of the unwillingness of young people to work in agriculture must be considered (Girdziute et al, 2022;Lamiño Jaramillo et al, 2023), or the perception of migration as a better option will lead to migratory behavior (Migali & Scipioni, 2018). Finally, similarly to (Lamiño Jaramillo et al, 2021), this study continues the development of national profiles on youth migration that could serve to inform local, national, and regional initiatives contributing to inform inclusive and effective mechanisms to cultivate the future agricultural workforce for future generations in low-and middle-income countries.…”