Food Security In Small-Scale Agriculture: Implementation Of Safety And Value-Added Strategies, Teapa, Tabasco

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze food safety practices and value-added strategies in small-scale agricultural production, as well as to identify challenges and opportunities for improving the quality and competitiveness of agricultural products. It adopts a mixed-methods approach and exploratory design, using a non-probabilistic sample of 155 producers from selected localities. Data analysis using SPSS revealed that 59.40% are male and 40.60% are female; 23% are aged 31-40, 2.6% are aged 18-20, and 74.40% are over 40 years old. 53.50% have 1-5 years of farming experience, and 46.50% have more than 5 years. Additionally, 92.90% work on areas of 1-5 hectares, while 7.10% have larger areas. 60% do not implement food safety measures, while 40% do, and 40% add value to their production. Despite the importance of these practices, many face challenges in adopting them