Structural Equations Model of the Concha Prieta (Anadara tuberculosa) Agribusiness Management and Value Chain Performance in the Ecuadorian Mangroves

Abstract

Mangroves are tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems that fulfill multiple beneficial functions for preserving life on the planet and the economic support of families living in their surroundings. Such is the case of the mangroves in Ecuador, in which the "Concha Prieta" (Anadara tuberculosa) is produced through the manual extraction of natural populations. However, this production system is threatened by deforestation and overexploitation. This research aims to formulate an agribusiness management model that impacts the A. tuberculosa's value chain performance levels using as validation tools the structural equations model. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, and ex-post-facto field research methodology was applied. The population under study was made up of the production chain participants, through a representative sample of 138 shellfish collectors, 12 managers of shellfish associations, 27 merchants, and 45 restaurants.
The study was carried out in the Jambelí archipelago, in El Oro province, Ecuador, in 2019. Likewise, a questionnaire for each stage of the research was designed and validated through experts' judgment. The collected data were processed and analyzed through the structural equations model, using SPSS and AMOS software. The result obtained shows an interdependence relationship between both latent variables, with a covariance index of 0.45, which allows us to infer that as the processes integrated into Agribusiness Management are improved, higher levels are reached in the Performance components of the mollusk value chain and vice-versa. In particular, the exogenous variable Agribusiness Management is related to the endogenous variables mentioned below, with their respective factorial load: Evaluation (0.72); Process innovation (0.69); Internal factors of innovation (0.67); Planning (0.65); Execution (0.58) and External factors of innovation (0.38).
Likewise, the exogenous variable Value Chain Performance is related to the endogenous variables mentioned below and their respective factorial load: Physical productivity (0.86); Economic productivity (0.83); Percentage indicator of net income (0.35); Operational profitability (0.21); Quality of life (-0.07) and Leadership in costs (-0.06). We conclude that the Agribusiness Management and Value Chain Performance constructs are interdependent and that the Physical Productivity and Evaluation indicators are the ones that have the most significant influence on this relationship. We recommend simulating these effects and relationships to propose improvement strategies to the said value chain.