Socioeconomic factors and agricultural production management associated with food insecurity in rural households in the Machángara river basin

The food insecurity and inadequate management of family farm production is a problem that per-sists today in all corners of the world. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the socioeconomic and agricultural production management factors associated with food insecurity in rural households in the Machángara river basin in the province Azuay, Ecuador. The information was collected through a survey applied to households that were part of a stratified random sample. Based on this information, the Latin American and Caribbean Household Food Security Measurement Scale (ELCSA) was constructed to estimate food insecurity as a function of socioeconomic factors and agricultural production management, through the application of a Binomial Logit model and an Ordinal Logit model, in the STATA® 16 program. The results show that head house a married head of household, living in an informal house, having a latrine, producing medicinal or ornamental plants, and the relationship between expenses and income are significant variables that increase the probability of being food insecure. In this way, this research provides timely information to help public policy makers employ effective strategies to benefit rural household that are food vulnerable.