Fair Markets and Resilient Supply Chains: Designing Sustainable Intermediation for Rural Communities

Abstract

[Abstract] Agriculture in Ecuador's communes faces significant economic, social, and environmental challenges, intensified by supply chains dominated by traditional intermediaries. The lack of context-specific sustainability studies further increases the vulnerability of smallholders. This study proposes a cooperative farming model to strengthen a fair and sustainable supply chain in the communes of Santa Elena. The methodology follows a mixed-methods approach, integrating surveys and expert interviews with descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, as well as a weighted decision matrix to assess sustainability dimensions. The results reveal strong dependence on brokering, limited access to fair markets, and reduced profit margins. Additionally, the adoption of sustainable practices is constrained by scarce capital and insufficient technical support. An integrated mediation model based on cooperatives and digital platforms demonstrates strong potential to improve transparency, reduce intermediation margins, and enhance farmers' resilience by promoting a fairer supply chain.