Impact of Agricultural Practices on Economic Sustainability: A Gender-Based Approach in Ambato

This study provides an in-depth examination of the association between sustainable agricultural practices and economic sustainability among small-scale farmers in the canton of Ambato, Ecuador, with attention to gender differences in the adoption of specific practices. The study used a cross-sectional quantitative design and structural equation modeling (SEM) based on data from 150 farmers. The results demonstrate that intention to adopt sustainable practices was positively associated with economic sustainability (β = 0.96), and perceived benefits also showed a positive relationship with economic sustainability (β = 0.29). Conversely, agricultural practices showed a negative direct structural coefficient with economic sustainability (β = −0.29), thereby suggesting that the short-term costs of implementation may reduce immediate economic returns in resource-constrained contexts. Descriptive results indicated differences in the adoption of specific practices by sex, especially in crop rotation, biological pest control, and efficient irrigation, although the evidence for gender differences in economic sustainability was mainly descriptive rather than inferential. The model showed acceptable fit (CFI = 0.934, TLI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.065). Overall, these findings contribute empirical evidence from an Andean agricultural context and suggest that training, technical support, and transition-cost reduction policies are necessary to strengthen the economic viability of sustainable agriculture.