ABSTRACT
Enough information has been presented to model agricultural yields and labor inputs under varying assumptions of fallow length, rotation, and irrigation. This chapter presents the model with inputs and parameters characteristic of Ecuadorian highland small farms in the mid 1970s. It discusses many of the implications of the scenario seem to correspond to observable patterns in the contemporary Andes. Such correspondences are very encouraging indicators that some underlying processes active on the Andean scene have been identified. The predictions of scenarios can be checked against the real world, and the results can help identify actually operative processes, constraints, and selective pressures. The modelling procedure has produced a series of data of land and labor efficiencies for alternative agricultural tactics. The data are consistent with limited field interview information and have the advantage of consistency and transparency of derivation. The data can in turn be used for the analysis of the implications of various scenarios of farmer decision-making.
