Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 3.7 Using traditional tools for soil management
participating in agricultural tasks, from seeding to harvest (Figure 3.8).
Contracting local labour is also common. Men are hired for certain jobs
(washing produce,
loading sacks and transporting), while women are
employed for
seeding, weeding and harvesting. The daily wage
is
approximately US$5 for men and US$4 for women.
Access to housing - More than half of the urban farmers interviewed
stated that they owned their homes. In many cases, however, ownership does
not have legal backing: 61 per cent of the people interviewed in this study do
not have title to their property. According to de Soto (2000), 53 per cent of
homes in the cities are 'extralegal' dwellings, that is, they are traded in an
informal market without formal legal status. Further, de Soto points out that
the lack of legality of these assets makes it dicult for households to generate
financial capital because people are unable to access credit.
Human capital
Local knowledge and training - Urban farmers' knowledge is transferred in
various ways: from generation to generation, from parents to children, and by
the knowledge acquired over time through decisions made along the way
thanks to the adoption of new and innovative ideas. In this zone, 75 per cent
of farmers have come from rural areas (ENCUESTAS, 2004). They arrive with
knowledge of how to cultivate land and raise animals. Others who do not
