Links structure and geospatial distribution of margins in the production chain of the wax palm (Ceroxylon echinulatum Galeano) using GIS in Colta canton, Chimborazo

Abstract

Introduction: The palm (Ceroxylon echinulatum Galeano) is a non-timber forest product of cultural and economic importance in the Ecuadorian highlands. Its buds are harvested every year to make Easter handicrafts, but little is known about how its commercialization is organized in Chimborazo, despite being an endangered species and under intense pressure for the harvest. Objectives: This study identified and characterized the links of its production chain in the Colta canton and measured how margins are distributed among the actors. Methodology: The work was descriptive and explanatory, 30 harvesters from the Juan de Velasco parish and 6 collectors-artisans from Riobamba and Licán were surveyed. Results: The chain turned out to have four links: producers of raw materials (harvesters), transporters, collectors-artisans, and final consumers. It is shorter than the one described for the northwest of Pichincha because the forest is community owned and the transporter also acts as an intermediary. The price per leaf rose from $0.8 at the combined to $1.6 at the conveyor and $6 at the artisan, i.e., margins of 100%, 200%, and 375% over the purchase price. The one who earns the least is the harvester, precisely the one who puts in the extraction effort and runs the legal risk of Article 247 of the COIP. In eleven years, the price of the bundle and the leaf doubled, while the harvest decreased due to the conservation campaigns. Conclusions: It is concluded that the chain does not distribute the benefits equitably to the producer and that sustaining the activity requires ordering the harvest technically and legally. General area of study: Forest Sciences. Specific study area: Use and conservation of non-timber forest products, Geographic Information Systems. Item type: Original.