Perception of Public Policies and Sustainability among Agricultural Producers in the Municipality of Guasave

Abstract

The agricultural sector of Sinaloa is one of the most representative in Mexico. Its economic and social contributions are of great magnitude, as is its scale of production and the social impacts it generates. The objective was to study the perception of maize farmers in the municipality of Guasave on agricultural public policies and their impact on sustainable results in the sector. The methodology was quantitative-descriptive and cross-sectional. A sample of 260 farmers was analysed out of a study population of 18,650, to whom a survey was applied using the Likert scale. The internal consistency of the instrument was validated using the McDonald omega test, giving a (ω) of 0.868, considered reliable. Kendall’s Tau-c was used to find the relationship between the category and its respective subcategories. The results showed statistically significant correlations (Sig < 5%) that were greater than 0.7, so it was considered that the category “Public policies and sustainable development” showed a strong correlation with the subcategories “Governance and agricultural sustainability” and “Public policies in agriculture”. The results indicate that there is a need for greater attention to public policies, from their design to implementation. Agricultural activity has had a negative impact on a sustainable environment due to the current production methods. It is considered that to achieve significant progress in this sector, studies are needed to help detect and correct these problems and encourage greater participation of the actors in the sector in their work through training and the dissemination of sustainable practices.