Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa

Monterey Institute of International Studies A Graduate School of Middlebury College Team Monterey El Salvador 5, 2011

Written and Prepared by: Melissa Summers, Brandon Humphrey, Michael Atoria and Susana Valle & Edited by: Adele Negro

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa

Acknowledgments
The spirit and resilience of the people of the Bajo Lempa were motivating factors for our work. We thank them for their support and courage. We extend a special thanks to Juan Luna, Wilfredo Hernandez, Leonides Hernandez, Chema Argueta, LoLo, Cleto Marquez, and Mario Martinez for sharing their knowledge and connecting us with the local communities. Without this information, mediation, and transportation our efforts would not have come to fruition. La Coordinadora staff, including Herman and Cruz, were essential to accommodating our work needs. Our fellow Team Monterey 5 (TM5) members selflessly supported us, specifically Adele Negro and Antonio Armendriz with their translation and interpretation skills. In addition we would also like to thank our host families, as they provided us with housing and delicious El Salvadoran food. Through them we were able to learn more about the people and culture of Ciudad Romero. Living with our host families was a great part of the experience.

Executive Summary
Recent production efforts in the Bajo Lempa, conducted by Asociacin Mangle and La Coordinadora, have focused on the goal of achieving food sovereignty for the local populace. In order to ascertain current production capabilities and identify areas of potential growth, Asociacin Mangle has identified the necessity for a diagnostic tool to gather baseline data and measure changes in production practices and capacities stemming from project initiatives and other influencing factors. The TM5 Production Teams mission in January 2011 focused on the creation of this diagnostic tool and the capacity building necessary for Asociacin Mangles Production Program to administer and analyze such a tool. Creation of the survey involved holding meetings with members of Asociacin Mangles production staff to identify key information needs, construct unbiased survey questions (utilizing both quantitative and qualitative formats), and initial pilot testing in order to ensure appropriate communication in Spanish, and eliminate redundant and/or leading questions. Following completion of the survey, the Production Team held a workshop with members of Asociacin Mangles Production staff in order to demonstrate the use of the survey and analysis of collected data.

Background
The staff of Asociacin Mangle was essential to gathering the background information for this report. Principal among the sources of information were Production Program chief agronomist Juan Luna, and Production Program assistant agronomists Leonides Hernndez and Wilfredo Herndez. As has been noted in earlier Team Monterey reports, the people of the Bajo Lempa have faced significant challenges in establishing and developing communities where none had

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa previously existed. The majority of the population consists of families who had left El Salvador during the civil war and were later repatriated to the Bajo Lempa area. La Coordinadora and Asociacin Mangle were created to develop capacity and sustain efforts to improve the lives of the people of the area and protect their vulnerable environment.

Agricultural production is one of the main areas of focus for Asociacin Mangle. It is a fundamental premise of the organization that enabling people to feed themselves is one of the basic tenets of development. However, in this area, many challenges have been encountered. Foremost among them is the fact that the Bajo Lempa is a climatically volatile area. Due to its geographic location in the flood banks of the Lempa River, the area faces long periods of both drought and seasonal flooding. The flooding is further exacerbated by the occasional opening of the 15th of September Dam on the Lempa River, a measure intended to protect communities upriver but which wreaks havoc on the communities downstream. In addition, the area of the Bajo Lempa faces many challenges concerning human capital in agriculture. Due to the fact that the majority of the local inhabitants are relatively recent transplants, there is little historical experience in successful food production in this specific area.1 Like many communities of displaced and repatriated populations throughout the world, there is minimal communal memory concerning best practices, traditional vocations, and other activities. Current practices have done little to move agricultural production past the point of simple sustenance farming. Lack of crop diversity, lack of access to financial resources, use of chemical fertilizers, and a general deficiency in agricultural knowledge have created an unsustainable and unpredictable production output in the area. Asociacin Mangle has been working diligently to alleviate many of these problems. Most of the local households possess home gardens of some size and shape, and often rent out or own a separate parcel where basic crops including corn, sorghum, and sugar cane are grown. However, despite their best efforts, many people cannot move past sustenance farming and continue to be greatly affected by natural and economic adversity. Thus, with the understanding that these problems, worsened by government inaction and neglect, are impeding overall development of the Bajo Lempa, Asociacin Mangle has highlighted food sovereignty as one of its main long-term objectives. In working towards its attainment, Mangle strives to support the people of its constituent communities to become less reliant on non-local sources of agricultural products, generate and retain income in the community, and create a market environment in which people can depend on consistent sources of locally-produced food. In January of 2009, the work of Team Monterey 3 highlighted some key barriers to achieving this objective. Communities within the Bajo Lempa lack transportation to bring their goods, not to mention themselves, back and forth from the market and other points
Asociacin Mangle described the Bajo Lempa as predominantly tropical forest before it was settled by those displaced by the civil war. The land has never been used for agricultural purposes in modern times.
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Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa

of sale. The majority of people currently rely on coyotes and picacheros, non-local buyers and distributors who buy produce cheap, mainly in Nicaragua and Guatemala, and sell it door-to-door at a premium in communities all throughout the Bajo Lempa. This reliance on external sources of agricultural goods, although convenient for the households, creates a costly dependency system and worsens the financial situations of community members. This dependency is thus a key obstruction on the path to diversification, food sovereignty, and market creation. The capacity to reach higher production levels exists in certain cases; however there is currently no incentive to do so.

Coyotes buy cheap, chemically grown produce in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Picacheros sell it doorto-door at a premium and on credit in communities all throughout the Bajo Lempa.

The Bajo Lempa region still suffers from a dependency on cultivating one crop per household. In 2011, Juan Luna again cited the need for crop diversification to decrease vulnerability to weather, insects, and crop disease, and at the same time increase the nutritional value of the local diet. Improvements have been made, but the concept of diversification has yet to be fully understood and practiced by many. As pointed out by Team Monterey 3 in its report, Asociacin Mangles Agriculture School has been a key player in spreading awareness of sustainable and best practices. Team Monterey 3 also recommended the creation of a database to monitor what agricultural products were being bought and sold, by whom, and where. This database would eventually serve to coordinate a local market system. By the time Team Monterey 4 arrived in the Bajo Lempa to begin project work in January of 2010, its members were already aware of the attempts that had been made to establish local farmers markets, but that these had ultimately failed to take hold. It was important for Team Monterey 4 to understand what reasons led to the failure of these local market attempts. However, many of the interviews undertaken by Team Monterey 4 were conducted with local organized producers, whose ability to produce beyond sustenance is more developed than that of the majority of the population. Many of the recommendations resulting from these interviews, concerning the establishment of a market, addressed the needs and capacities of this target population of associated producers. In order to increase the scope of the project this year, Team Monterey 5 has sought to make recommendations that address the needs of individual households through initiatives that would incentivize agricultural production beyond sustenance levels and facilitate the creation of local markets. The recommendations in this report are intended to help foster the creation of sustainable local markets through the stimulation of agricultural production by individuals and communities alike.

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa

In order to address the factors limiting increased production and impeding the attainment of food sovereignty, Asociacin Mangle created the Production Program and later the Agriculture School. These institutions have done much to increase the implementation of organic and sustainable farming practices throughout the Bajo Lempa. The Agriculture School has been training the regions farmers to increase and expand the general agricultural knowledge base of the Bajo Lempa communities. Concurrently, Asociacin Mangles Production Program has developed partnerships with local farmers in order to increase production yields. Through these partnerships, equipment and training are provided, and agronomists work with farmers to draw up an individual three-year production plan that is agreed upon by both parties. In order to facilitate such activities and to overcome the restrictions imposed by scarce financial resources, Asociacin Mangle has created a Green Credit system that provides residents with seeds, seedlings, and animals, which are then repaid in kind after harvest or mating. All of these policies initiated and sustained by Asociacin Mangle and La Coordinadora have advanced the work of attaining food sovereignty.

Objectives
In August of 2010, Adele Negro held a series of meetings with Juan Luna, head of Asociacin Mangles Production Program and staff members, to discuss the current state and needs of Mangles production programs and to assess how Team Monterey 5 could best support these efforts. Also participating in the discussions were Nathan Weller, Policy Director for EcoViva, and Brett Melone, Executive Director of ALBA (Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association.) It was agreed that the efforts of this years TM5 Production Team would be focused on the design of a diagnostic tool that would enable Mangle to measure the current state of production in the Bajo Lempa region. As a key part of their three-year strategic plan, Asociacin Mangles Production Program has set the goal of promoting sustainable agricultural production and food security in the Bajo Lempa area. In order to achieve this goal, they have identified the need for a comprehensive database reflecting the current state and capacity of agricultural production. This database would also be used to monitor agriculture production changes, indicators, and patterns resulting from program initiatives, effects of natural disasters, and socio-economic changes. It was necessary, therefore, to design a diagnostic tool that would measure a wide range of indicators for agricultural sustainability and production capacity. In order to assess the breadth of agricultural practices and capacities, and social diversity present in the area, the TM5 Production Team identified six informational categories to be measured with the diagnostic tool: productive capacity, agricultural knowledge, current practices, sustainability of current practices, potential for expanding agricultural programs, and potential for local commercialization. In order to ensure that the tool was reliable and replicable, questions were designed to gather specific information while

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa neutralizing the influence of inevitable diversity of crops. The final diagnostic tool took the form of a survey questionnaire created in Google Docs that could be administered regardless of the level of technical knowledge on the part of the interviewer or the respondent. In addition to the creation of the survey diagnostic tool, the TM5 Production Team offered a brief workshop to teach the use of the tool to Asociacin Mangles Production staff and to facilitate continued communication and joint follow-up on the project. As part of this proposed follow-up, the TM5 Production Team provided Asociacin Mangle with an outline of next steps and long-term recommendations, to help facilitate their continued efforts towards achieving food sovereignty in the Bajo Lempa.

Methodology
As previously stated, Asociacin Mangle determined that a general assessment of current agricultural practices and production in the region was needed to further their efforts towards achieving food sovereignty in the Bajo Lempa. The organization decided that the most effective method to obtain this information from the various communities in the Bajo Lempa would be administering a diagnostic survey. The TM5 Production Team was tasked with helping Asociacin Mangle to create this tool. Initially, through consultations with Production Program staff, the team outlined the general information the survey was intended to obtain. Identifying topics such as demographics, distribution, production, and consumption, we developed specific questions for a survey designed to ascertain relevant indicators. This survey was created using Google Docs, where questions can be changed, data entered and accessed, and visual representations of the data are automatically provided. Given that internet access was necessary for the use of Google Docs, the survey construction was conducted at La Coordinadoras community center in the village of Ciudad Romero, where Team Monterey is housed every year. The Production Team based its initial work on a draft diagnostic tool that had been created by Juan Luna and the Production Program staff (see Appendix 2). This original version of the diagnostic tool contained very technical questions intended to obtain quantitative measurements of productive output, capacity and knowledge level. Considering that this original diagnostic consisted primarily of quantitative information, we decided to construct a more general survey to gather qualitative information to complement the quantitative information. The re-drafted survey used a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative questions, and included questions from the original diagnostic as well as questions of our own creation (see Appendix 3). Qualitative and quantitative measurements were used in order to provide a comprehensive assessment of the progress and patterns of agricultural practices in the region. The database of survey responses may be replicated to store information for different groups, separately. As a result, the survey tool may be used to obtain information that accurately represents individual communities but also allows surveyors to view communities Cooperatively for overall data about the entire region.

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa

After constructing the first survey draft, the TM5 Production Team conducted a trial run in which both the qualitative survey and the quantitative diagnostic were administered consecutively. Three residents of Ciudad Romero were interviewed at La Coordinadoras community center in the presence of Production Program agronomist, Wilfredo Hernndez. This first run-through proved that the original quantitative diagnostic questions were too technical not only for us as interviewers, but also for the respondents to understand. These first interviewees also evidenced a lack of comprehension with questions that were too broad or unclear. This problem was observed by Wilfredo, who was often required to step in at certain moments during the interviews in order to provide clarification of the diagnostic questions. Given the length of the survey, as well as the confusion caused by some of the questions, we decided it would be most effective to combine our qualitative survey and the quantitative diagnostic into one tool. During further consultation with Juan Luna and Wilfredo we extracted the relevant questions from the technical diagnostic, which we then incorporated into our final survey. Once we created the combined tool, we again conducted pilot tests in the communities of Isla de Mndez, El Cedro and La Limonera. During these interviews it became further apparent where we needed to restructure questions, simplify the vocabulary, set an appropriate question sequence, and eliminate questions that were irrelevant to the information being sought. For example, in some cases respondents were unable to answer questions regarding land ownership, production expenses and income, necessitating further simplification or clarification. After each day of pilot tests the TM5 Production Team would discuss the outcome and make any necessary revisions to the survey.

Pilot interviews were conducted in several communities to test the survey and determine necessary changes to be made.

In order to increase our understanding of current agricultural practices and enhance our abilities as survey administrators, the TM5 Production Team decided it was important to visit local farms and vegetable gardens. We visited both home gardens and larger-scale plots in Isla de Mndez, Ciudad Romero, and La Limonera. These tours gave us an understanding of the general characteristics of local farms and gardens, the different agricultural practices used, and the types of crops grown in the area. In addition, they provided greater insight into the agricultural production indicators we were attempting to capture.

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa

The Production Team toured personal gardens in local communities.

Once the survey tool was complete, we held a live tutorial for Juan Luna and Wildredo to facilitate the use of the tool by Asociacin Mangles staff. In the tutorial we explained the importance, when developing surveys, of taking into account such elements as random sampling, question construction, and best practices. We also demonstrated how to access, alter, and create surveys using Google Docs, and showed them how to create individual databases so that responses and data can be stored independently for different communities. Finally, we demonstrated how to input data and access the survey results summaries. At the end of the tutorial, we provided written guidelines and instructions that explained these procedures (see Appendix 4).

Findings and Conclusions

It is possible to use a survey tool to accomplish Asociacin Mangles objectives of creating a comprehensive database that reflects the current practices of the entire population of the Bajo Lempa. However, due to logistical, economic, and time constraints, the survey would be most effective if administered only to a portion of the population within separate communities in the region. Financial restraint and weather conditions have caused hardship in local agricultural communities and limited their ability to expand and increase their production beyond sustenance farming. However, the desire and capacity to increase and diversify production does exist. Current Asociacin Mangle programs have provided the capacity and productive potential necessary for the successful implementation of our final recommendations. The communities of the Bajo Lempa currently rely on picacheros, stores, or city markets to procure the majority of their agricultural food products. The prices of these products, most recently beans, fluctuate without warning, and the local communities have no alternative but to pay these prices. However, communities understand that increasing their own production would supplement and ultimately supplant these sources.

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa

During our tours of the vegetable gardens, we discovered that two farmers in Ciudad Romero and Isla de Mndez have been experimenting with a particular bean typically grown in the highlands. These two farmers appear to have successfully produced this bean in the climatic conditions of the Bajo Lempa, which were previously thought to be adverse to bean production. This example demonstrates the potential for further diversification in the area.

Local farmers have successfully grown this highland bean in the Bajo Lempa, exhibiting great potential for further diversification in the area.

Next Steps
As stated in the Observations section of this report, the goal of the TM5 Production Team was to provide Asociacin Mangle with a reliable and replicable survey tool. At the end of our three weeks we were able to deliver a survey consisting of 56 questionsboth quantitative and qualitativedesigned to gather information concerning the overall agricultural production of the Bajo Lempa. The teams decision to utilize Google Docs as the medium for survey creation and data input provides Asociacin Mangle with the ability to alter and add survey questions as necessary in order to create a tool that meets their specific needs. The initial step for follow-up on this project will be for Asociacin Mangles Production Program to continue revising the survey until it effectively gathers the information they are hoping to attain. Once agreement has been reached concerning its thoroughness and completeness, the survey must be administered. It is the recommendation of the TM5 Production Team that, in order to avoid bias in the survey results, Asociacin Mangle utilize an outside organization for survey administration. In these situations, it is our observation that the presence of Asociacin Mangle staff members or technical experts as interviewers may lead respondents to answer questions in a way that may not reflect their true opinions, but rather what they believe the survey administrator wants to hear. It is, therefore, imperative that survey administrators be neutral parties. An initial administration of the survey will provide Asociacin Mangle with a baseline of current agricultural conditions, practices, and capacities. It must be noted that the first survey administration will be used as a starting point from which to measure the results of future surveying. Ideally, the survey should be administered every two years, or following the implementation of production projects. In this manner, the survey will aid in identifying and monitoring indicators and patterns in the data that will help provide

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a comprehensive understanding of overall production. Some of the indicators of sustainable agricultural practices will include: increased production, increased diversification, increased use of organic rather than chemical inputs, increased enrollment in the Agriculture School, increased interest in Asociacin Mangles agricultural programs, and increased financial resources due to income generation and/or decreased spending on food products. The data obtained from these surveys could also potentially be used in conjunction with community meetings and other methods currently used to determine the specific needs of each community. The combination of hard data and community discussion allows for a comprehensive assessment of community capacity, resources, challenges and interest in programs. This holistic assessment will enable Asociacin Mangle to tailor agricultural programs to specific communities, thereby increasing the likelihood of program success and better meeting the needs of the local people.

Summary of Recommendations
In order to address Asociacin Mangles ultimate goals of helping communities to attain food sovereignty and apply sustainable production methods, we have identified two primary controllable problems facing current productive capacity: the lack of financial resources and a lack of general agricultural knowledge in the local communities. However, Asociacin Mangle has made great strides in addressing these two issues. Through its Green Credit program and the creation of its School of Agriculture the organization has laid the groundwork for increased access to financial resources and the dissemination of knowledge. The following recommendations outline how these currently existing programs and services can be expanded to achieve greater impact. Home Gardens We recommend that Asociacin Mangle continue its current practices of providing financial resources and agricultural training with the aim of helping individual households to establish their own gardens in different communities. During our field visits to local farms, the TM5 Production Team was introduced to a community project in Isla de Mndez that is responsible for assisting six households in constructing and maintaining home gardens. These gardens are the product of a concerted effort on the part of Asociacin Mangle and other outside agencies to increase local household production, thereby allowing families to become more self-sufficient and food secure. These gardens, along with those of graduates from Asociacin Mangles School of Agriculture, represent a vital first step in the larger movement toward diversification, sustainability, and food security at the regional level. Through the efforts of programs such as these, agricultural knowledge and skills are disseminated at the community level and provide a foundation on which to expand larger scale operations. It is the recommendation of the TM5 Production Team that in addition to the continuation of the School of Agriculture, programs similar to the one in Isla de Mndez be initiated in other local communities in which circumstances are conducive to this household model.

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Community Learning Cooperatives The launch of the project in Isla de Mndez depended largely on external funding sources for the initial investment required. This initial capital was used to purchase pumps and to construct irrigation systems for the home gardens. However, the TM5 Production Team recognizes that the capital required to emulate this model may serve as an obstacle for further expansion into other communities. Therefore, in conjunction with the model based on individual households, we recommend the development of learning cooperative similar to the one in Ciudad Romero where agricultural practices and knowledge can be widely disseminated and food production within communities can be increased. The model for a learning cooperative may be utilized independently or in conjunction with the home garden model. In contrast to the household gardens, the learning cooperative will provide a secure area, belonging to the community, in which local families may cultivate small gardens. Participating families would have access to the Green Credit program for the use of seeds and would be permitted to use Asociacin Mangle-owned or community-owned farming and irrigation equipment. The learning cooperative model, like the household gardens model, allows for the achievements of increased production and food security. However, the learning cooperative also allows for the participation of individuals who cannot afford the initial investment entailed in the household model. Distribution Partnerships Through these programs community production will increase and opportunities will arise for the sale of surplus harvests. To provide distribution channels for these sales, we recommend the development of a partnership program. The goal of such a program would be to create a networking system connecting local producers with local distributors. The distributors could be community members with means of transportation who are known and trusted by the producers themselves or by Asociacin Mangle. These partnerships will facilitate a local supply chain and create the networks necessary for the creation of local markets. The establishment of local markets would help to keep financial resources within the communities and naturally incentivize diversification, specialization, and increased production. Experimentation With Raised Gardens The communities of the Bajo Lempa face numerous challenges in regards to increasing agricultural production and attaining food sovereignty. Of these challenges, seasonal flooding poses the greatest obstacle to all past and present efforts. Recognizing that the projects proposed here will face the same obstacles, the Production Team recommends the trial use of raised planter boxes for household and community gardens. These raised areas could potentially mitigate the effects of the recurring floods and prevent the loss of entire food sources. Construction of raised garden beds present several other advantages pertaining to cultivation, such as; the possibility for closer spacing of crops, drainage improvement, less reliance on poor local soil, and less soil compaction, all of which lend themselves to

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higher overall yields. See photos in Appendix 1 for an idea of how these raised beds may be constructed. Experimentation With Bean Cultivation Finally, the TM5 Production Team suggests further experimentation with the cultivation of the highlands red bean mentioned in the Observations section of this report. The team noted from survey responses that beans are among the top three primary staple foods in the diets of the local communities. We also learned that bean prices had recently increased roughly threefold as a result of widespread flooding in Central America, which had serious impact on food costs for families all throughout El Salvador. The successful harvest of this small red bean by two farmers in the region implies significant potential for larger-scale production within communities, which in turn would result in substantial savings on food expenses all over the region. The Production Team recommends that Asociacin Mangle make a concerted effort to encourage further cultivation of this bean in household gardens, family owned fields, and the community gardens of the Bajo Lempa.

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Appendices
I. Appendix 1: Raised Gardens

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa II. Appendix 2: Original Diagnostic Tool

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Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa III. Appendix 3: Agricultural Production Survey Encuesta de Produccin Agrcola

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Buenos das/tardes, me llamo ________. Somos estudiantes del Instituto de Monterey de California. Estamos colaborando con La Coordinadora y con Asociacin Mangle. Estamos haciendo encuestas sobre la alimentacin en la comunidad. La informacin sirve para entender la capacidad productiva del Bajo Lempa con la meta de ayudar a Mangle a identificar maneras de apoyar a la comunidad. La encuesta es annima (no tiene porque poner su nombre). Durar alrededor de 30 minutos. La mayora de las preguntas requieren un simple si o no, o que escoja entre varias opciones que le daremos. Est usted dispuesto/a a participar en esta encuesta? Vamos a empezar con algunas preguntas generales. 1. 2. 3. 4. Cuntas personas viven en la casa? Qu edad tiene cada una? Cunta rea tiene en total el lote donde se ubica la vivienda? Tiene solar en el terreno donde est su casa? a. S b. No 5. Qu tan grande es el solar? 6. Es usted dueo/a de la propiedad, la alquila o usa el terreno de un familiar? a. Dueo b. Alquila c. Es el terreno de un familiar y no paga 7. Aparte este terreno donde esta la vivienda, usa otro terreno para cultivar o para pasto? a. S b. No 8. Es usted dueo/a del terreno, loa alquila, o es el terreno de un familiar? a. Dueo b. Alquila c. Es el terreno de un familiar y no paga 9. Qu tan grande es esa rea? 10. Hay otra persona que vive en el hogar que es dueo/a de un terreno? 11. Qu tan grande es esa rea? Ahora vamos a hacerle algunas preguntas sobre sus cultivos. 12. Qu tipo de suelo tiene? (Por ejemplo, qu tanto retiene humedad su suelo: se encharca, penetra rpido) 13. Qu es el pendiente del terreno (desnivel, plano, ladera, etc)

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa 14. En todos los terrenos que tiene el hogar qu se cultiva? (Leer la lista) a. Hortalizas b. Maz o arroz c. Frutales d. Arboles para lea o madera (Forestales) 15. A veces produce ms de lo que consume? a. S b. No 16. Vende usted lo que le sobra? a. S b. No 17. A quin le vende el producto? (Leer la lista) a. A los vecinos b. A los picaceros c. En el mercado d. Otro 18. Usa usted abono? a. S b. No 19. Qu tipo de abono usa? a. Orgnico b. Qumico c. Ambos d. No aplica 20. Usa usted insecticidas? a. S b. No 21. Qu tipo de insecticidas usa? a. Orgnico b. Qumico c. Ambos d. No aplica 22. Usa herbicidas? a. S b. No 23. De qu tipo? a. Orgnico b. Qumico c. Ambos d. No aplica 24. Cmo quita la maleza? a. A mano b. A mquina c. Quemar con fuego d. Quemar con qumicos e. Con animales

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Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa 25. Cmo prepara el suelo para empezar a cultivar? a. Traccin b. A mquina c. A mano 26. Cmo siembra? a. A mano b. A mquina c. Ambos 27. Cmo riega su cultivo con agua? a. Goteo b. Gravedad c. A mano (bombilla)/manguera d. Aspersores e. Otro 28. Qu fuente de agua usa? a. Ro b. Pozo c. Puntera 29. Aporca sus cultivos? a. S b. No 30. Poda sus forestales? a. S b. No 31. Cmo obtiene el producto final de la cosecha? a. A mano b. A mquina c. Ambos

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Ahora vamos a hacerle algunas preguntas sobre sus gastos. Vamos a preguntar sobre un gasto a la vez. Si no puede dar una suma exacta puede dar una suma aproximada. 32. Sabe usted cunto gasta en semillas por ao? 33. Sabe usted cunto gasta en maquinaria por ao? 34. Sabe usted cunto gasta en mano de obra por ao? 35. Sabe usted cunto gasta para regar con agua? 36. Sabe usted cunto gasta en qumicos por ao? (abono, pesticidas) Ahora vamos a hacerle algunas preguntas sobre animales. 37. Tiene animales? a. S b. No

Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa 38. Qu animales tiene? a. Vacas b. Cabras/chivos c. Gallinas/pollos d. Cerdos e. Caballos f. Ovejas 39. Usa sus animales solo para el consumo de su hogar? a. S b. No 40. Vende productos de animales? a. S b. No 41. Usa sus vacas para? a. Carne b. Leche c. Ambos 42. Usa sus gallinas para? a. Huevos b. Carne c. Ambos 43. Qu les da de comer a sus animales (todos lo que tiene)? 44. Tiene instalaciones para los animales? a. S b. No 45. Qu tipo? a. Corral b. Estable 46. Les da vitaminas? a. S b. No 47. Cada cundo? a. Una vez al ao b. Dos veces al ao c. Tres veces al ao d. Ms que tres veces al ao 48. Usa desaparasitante? a. S b. No 49. Cada cundo? a. Una vez al ao b. Dos veces al ao c. Tres veces al ao d. Ms que tres veces al ao 50. Cunto gasta en vitaminas? 51. Sabe usted cunto gasta en comida para los animales por ao?

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Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa 52. Cunto gasta en vacunas? 53. Sabe usted cunto gata por el cuido del ganado, es decir el uso del pasto y llevarlos a pasto? Estas dos siguientes preguntas se refieren a toda su produccin (cultivos y animales). 54. Cul ha sido unos problemas recurrentes con los cual usted se ha enfrentado? (No leer la lista) a. Lluvia b. Sequa c. Inundacin d. Plaga e. Enfermedades f. Delincuencia g. Falta de mano de obra h. Falta de recursos financieros i. Falta de conocimiento j. Otro 55. Tiene inters en aumentar su produccin? a. S b. No Ahora vamos a hacerle algunas preguntas sobre su consumo. 56. Dnde compra la comida que no produce? (Leer la lista) a. A los picaceros b. En la tienda c. En el mercado d. Otro 57. Porqu compra sus productos en estos sitios? 58. En general, le parecen justos los precios que paga por los productos? a. S b. No 59. En general, cunto gasta en comida por mes? 60. Qu productos agrcolas compra? 61. De estos productos que compra, hay que le gustara cosechar en lugar de comprar? 62. ules son? 63. Por qu no lo hace ahora? 64. Sabe usted de la existencia de la escuela de agricultura de Asociacin Mangle? a. S b. No Las ltimas preguntas son sobre sus ingresos.

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Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa 65. Hay un miembro de la familia que ha asistido a la escuela de agricultura de Asociacin Mangle? a. S b. No 66. En general, cunto dinero le entra al hogar por mes? 67. De dnde recibe la mayor parte del dinero? (Leer la lista) a. De su finca b. Como jornalero c. De remesas d. Otro 68. Recibe remesas?

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Agricultural Production Team Final Report: Production Capacity in the Bajo Lempa IV. Appendix 4: Google Doc Instruction Form

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Como administrar encuestas de una manera fiable Cuando administra una encuesta, la idea es de hablar con solamente una porcin de la poblacin en vez de hablar con toda la gente de una comunidad. De esa manera puede obtener una representacin fiable de la comunidad entera. Es importante administrar la encuesta a por lo menos 30 personas de cada comunidad para obtener datos validos. Si no es posible obtener 30 personas de cada comunidad, necesitar por lo menos 384 personas de La Bajo Lempa, seleccionadas de varias comunidades. Para asegurar que esa porcin representa adequadamente la poblacin entera, es imperativo que sea escogida de una manera al azar. Al seleccionar personas de cualquier manera que no sea al azar recibir informacin invalida y sasgada que no sera representante de la poblacin. Las preguntas no pueden insinuar una respuesta. Es decir que una pregunta no debera implicar una respuesta preferida. Para asegurar consistencia de los datos, la encuesta debera ser un guion. Cada persona debera escuchar la misma pregunta de manera exacta. Las preguntas y el lenguaje deberan ser lo ms sencillo posible para que toda la gente pueda entender. Tambin es necesario que cada pregunta implique solamente una respuesta. Por ejemplo, si quiere preguntar sobre manejo, es necesario especificar cada aspecto del manejo en preguntas separadas. El anlisis de los datos A veces una pregunta recibe datos que no son tiles. Es importante reconocer cuando tiene una pregunta que dar informacin irrelevante o sasgada, y eliminar ese tipo de pregunta. Una manera de identificar una pregunta de tal es cuando tiene respuestas obvias. o Por ejemplo: Tiene inters en aumentar su produccin? Es obvio que todos los entrevistados van a decir, S y que esta pregunta no dar informacin til. Si cambia la encuesta, no puede usar la informacin de las encuestas previas porque no estara preguntando la misma cosa a cada persona. Sin embargo, no puede comparar los datos entre la encuesta antes de los cambios. Si quiere usar la encuesta para obersvar el progreso y pautas, es necesario administrarlo ms que una vez. La encuesta debera de ser repetida cada ao o cada dos aos. De esa manera puede ver el impacto de programas iniciados en las comunidades. Google Form Para empezar, ingrese a su cuenta de gmail y haga click en Docs. De aqu puede crear un nuevo documento o escoger un documento que ya existe. Si quiere hacer una nueva encuesta, tiene que seleccionar formulario. De esta forma en blanco puede aadir preguntas y crear una encuesta nueva. Puede escoger el tipo de preguntas y respuestas. Si quiere trabajar en un documento que ya existe, escoga el documento en el que quiera trabajar y haga click en formulario en el

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barro de herramientas y seleccione modificar formulario. sta abrir una nueva ventana donde puede cambiar o modificar la encuesta. Para entrar los datos, selecione formulario del barro de herramientas y haga click en formulario en directo. Entre todos los datos y haga click en enviar. Es importante notar que algunas preguntas son mandatorias y que no puede enviar el documento sin poner respuestas que corresponden a estas preguntas. Las preguntas mandatorias sern identificadas con una estrella roja. Despus de que todos los datos han sido entrados, puede ver los resultados de una manera grfica. Para accesar estos grficos, haga click en formulario del barro de herramientas y selecione mostrar el resumen de respuestas. En este sitio tambin puede imprimir los resultados.

Como hacer copias de una encuesta para cada comunidad Haga click en archivo y escoja crear una copia. Como modificar formulario y preguntas Vaya a editar....solo formulario Haga click en el lapiz que esta colocado en la esquina derecha de cada pregunta/caja. Como cambiar el orden de las preguntas Vaya a editar....solo formulario Cuando tenga el mouse en una pregunta, la caja de preguntala se debera de cambiar de color(sobresaltada). Cuando la caja este sobresaltada, presione el mouse o haga click en la pregunta/caja que guste, a la misma vez que mueva la pregunta para arriba o para abajo. Debera ver como se mueve la caja cuando este haciendo el click sobre la pregunta que ha escogido para mover.