University-community Partnership Contribution Towards Rural Sustainability: Participatory Action Research in the Rice Farming Community of Paipayales, Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract Rice cultivation is the main economic livelihood for many families around the world. This activity represents several challenges for farmers and community members for rural sustainability, a cross-cutting element of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). In response, the Polytechnic University (ESPOL), fulfilling its mission of linking with society, implemented a community program where students and professors interact and collaborate with rice farmers in the rural community of Paipayales, located in the Santa Lucia canton, Guayas province. This article explores the impact of university-community projects through the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in order to evaluate them as a tool for contributing towards rural sustainability in communities. As a result, it was determined that the main problems faced by most of the farmers of the “Dios con Nosotros” Association are the availability of water in the wells and the commercialization of paddy rice. Considering these problems, the wells were geolocated and a board was designed for proper water management; at the same time, water quality was studied and recommendations were presented according to the problems encountered. Two proposals were also presented to create a rice husker and a rice separator to increase their profit margin by selling rice directly to retailers and wholesalers. As relevant conclusions, the importance of implementing links and relationships between the university community and society was highlighted, guaranteeing the value of working in transdisciplinary teams and achieving a comprehensive intervention that would lead to significant improvements in the community.