PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AND PEASANT FAMILY FARMING IN ECUADOR: A MARKET ACCESS STRATEGY WITHIN A FAIR TRADE FRAMEWORK?
COMPRA PÚBLICA Y AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR CAMPESINA EN ECUADOR: ¿UNA ESTRATEGIA DE COMERCIALIZACIÓN ENMARCADA EN EL COMERCIO JUSTO?
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0717-73562026000100513
Jenny Verónica Zurita de la Cueva
Key Words: Public procurement, Family farming, Popular and Solidarity Economy, fair trade and productive inclusion
Abstract
This article analyzes public procurement policy in Ecuador as a potential market access channel for Peasant Family Farming (AFC) within the framework of the Popular and Solidarity Economy (EPS) and the principles of fair trade. Using a mixed-methods approach, it examines data from the 2020–2024 period on awarded amounts, EPS participation, and the characteristics of inclusion mechanisms within the National Public Procurement System. The results show that, despite the existence of procurement procedures aimed at inclusion—such as Inclusive Fairs, the Inclusive Dynamic Catalog, and Electronic Reverse Auctions for food products—the participation of the EPS remains limited and fluctuating, not exceeding 5% of the total amount awarded. This situation reveals a gap between the regulatory framework, which promotes equity and inclusion, and the implementation of the procurement system, which continues to prioritize criteria of economic efficiency and competition based on the lowest bid. The article identifies structural constraints that limit access for the EPS, particularly for AFC actors, including demanding technical and administrative requirements, procurement scales that are difficult for small producers to meet, and weak inter-institutional coordination. In this context, public procurement in Ecuador has not been consolidated as an effective market access mechanism aligned with fair trade principles, highlighting the need to revise its mechanisms in order to strengthen productive inclusion and territorial development.
