The banana is a tropical fruit characterized by its composition of healthy and nutritional compounds. This fruit is part of traditional Ecuadorian gastronomy, being consumed in a wide variety of ways. In this context, unripe Red Dacca banana samples and those submitted to different traditional Ecuadorian heating treatments (boiling, roasting, and baking) were evaluated to profile their phenolic content by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) and the antioxidant activity by ORAC, ABTS, and DPPH assays. A total of sixty-eight phenolic compounds were identified or tentatively identified in raw banana and treated samples, highlighting the content in flavonoids (flavan-3-ols with 88.33% and flavonols with 3.24%) followed by the hydroxybenzoic acid family (5.44%) in raw banana samples. The total phenolic compound content significantly decreased for all the elaborations evaluated, specifically from 442.12 mg/100 g DW in fresh bananas to 338.60 mg/100 g DW in boiled (23.41%), 243.63 mg/100 g DW in roasted (44.90%), and 109.85 mg/100 g DW in baked samples (75.15%). Flavan-3-ols and flavonols were the phenolic groups most affected by the heating treatments, while flavanones and hydroxybenzoic acids showed higher stability against the heating treatments, especially the boiled and roasted samples. In general, the decrease in phenolic compounds corresponded with a decline in antioxidant activity, evaluated by different methods, especially in baked samples. The results obtained from PCA studies confirmed that the impact of heating on the composition of some phenolic compounds was different depending on the technique used. In general, the heating processes applied to the banana samples induced phytochemical modifications. Even so, they remain an important source of bioactive compounds for consumers.

Objetivo. Evaluar la viabilidad económica y financiera de los sistemas silvopastoriles tradicionales para la producción de Biocombustibles como aporte a la sostenibilidad del proyecto “Piñón para Galápagos”. Materiales y Métodos. Se llevaron a cabo encuestas a 450 pequeños productores ganaderos de 10 cantones de la provincia de Manabí con la finalidad de colectar información agronómica, manejo, costos implicados en establecimiento y producción de los sistemas silvopastoriles vigentes de Piñón (Jatropha curcas L.)/Saboya (Megathyrsus maximus). Para recopilar datos de producción del Piñón establecido en cercas vivas de Piñón INIAP CP041 e igualmente se registró la producción de sistemas en 10 sitios, desde el año 2009. Con estos datos se calcularon los siguientes indicadores financieros radio beneficio/costo (B/C), valor actual neto (VAN), tasa interna de retorno (TIR) y valor de expectativa de la tierra (VET). Resultados. El estudio mostró una disminución de la producción del Piñón con el transcurso del tiempo. El sistema silvopastoril mejorado con Piñón INIAP CP041 mostró B/C 1.07, VAN de USD$ 404.11, VET USD$ 970.23 y TIR de 18%. Seguido del sistema silvopastoril con Piñón local con un B/C 1.06, VAN de USD$ 363.66, VET USD$ 873.10 y TIR de 17% y finalmente sistema silvopastoril sin cosecha del Piñón con un B/C 1.05, VAN de USD$ 285.72, VET USD$ 685.99 y TIR de 15%. Conclusiones. La alternativa de producción de biocombustibles con sistemas silvopastoriles Piñón (INIAP CP041)/Saboya en Manabí es el sistema de mayor rentabilidad y no competiría por superficies de cultivo para la producción de alimentos, sin afectar a la seguridad alimentaria.

The present work was conducted to evaluate the volatile profile of Ecuadorian Forastero, CCN-51, ETT103 and LR14 cocoa beans during traditional fermentation in laurel wood boxes followed by a sun-drying process. Fifty-six volatiles were identified with HS-SPME-GC–MS. Aldehydes, alcohols and ketones were the compounds that mainly characterized the fresh cocoa. The main compounds formed during the anaerobic fermentation step were esters and acids, while in the aerobic fermentation step, an increase in ester-, aldehyde- and acid-type compounds was observed. Finally, after the drying step, a notable increase in the acid (i.e., acetic acid) content was the predominant trend. According to the genotypes, ETT103 presented high contents of terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and ketones and low contents of unfavorable acid compounds. The CCN-51 and LR14 (Trinitarian) varieties stood out for their highest amounts in acids (i.e., acetic acid) at the end of primary processing. Finally, the Forastero cocoa beans were highlighted for their low acid and high trimethylpyrazine contents. According to the chemometric and Venn diagram analyses, ETT-103 was an interestingly high-aromatic-quality variety for cocoa gourmet preparations. The results also showed the need for good control of the processing steps (using prefermentative treatments, starter cultures, etc.) on Ecuadorian genotypes of Trinitarian origin.

Pollination is one of the most decisive practices in cocoa cultivation; therefore, to determine the self-compatibility and evaluate the morphology of the flower, it was carried out in the experimental farm "La Represa", Quevedo, Ecuador. For this purpose, a completely randomized DCA design was used, with forty treatments, considering treatments the cocoa hybrids used, with three repetitions. Tukey's multiple range test (P≤0.05) was applied to determine the differences between the means. Manual pollination tests were performed to determine the percentage of fertilization with fifteen flowers per treatment, whose pollination rate stood out in the T26 and T38 treatments with 100% self-compatibility, followed by T15 and T35 with 80% anti-incompatibility. Variables such as the length and width of sepal and petal, peduncle length, length of staminoid and pistil, and the weight of the flower were also recorded where different hybrids stood out, such as T1 and T11 for sepal length and width with 2.70 and 8.20 mm respectively. In the height and width of the petal, the T10 and T26 treatments stood out with 2.50 mm. In the size of the peduncle, I highlight the T20 with 1.81 mm and T6 with 6.20 mm for the length of the staminoid. The length of the pistil, the T10, obtained the highest index at 2.50 mm. However, the weight of the flower highlighted the T13 and T20 treatments, registering the highest average with 0.065 g, concerning the other hybrids studied. Keywords: Autocompatibility, cocoa , hybrids , pollination ; flowers .

This study evaluates the impact of implementing FAIRTRADE standards on the quality of working life for workers in the banana sector. The research proposes strategies to optimize the distribution of the FAIRTRADE premium among company employees. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 196 families in the province of Los Ríos who participated in the pre-certification process and the subsequent implementation of FAIRTRADE practices on three banana plantations. The data were analyzed using the mean-grouping procedure, after which the propensity score and the average treatment effect were estimated. It was observed that the implementation of FAIRTRADE standards has had a positive impact on the quality of working life for workers in the banana industry, particularly in terms of indicators such as educational bonuses, scholarships, community participation, wages, and number of working hours. Although its scope remains limited compared to conventional trade, to optimize the fair trade premium received by banana companies, strategies must be implemented to reduce wage disparities between administrative staff and field workers.

This bibliometric study examined the evolution of research on the impact of climate change on plant health in coffee plantations over the last 20 years. A total of 147 articles indexed in Scopus were analyzed to identify trends, authors, journals, and leading countries. The results show growing interest, with an increase since 2013. Among the influential journals are Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, and PLOS ONE; the United States and Brazil account for the majority of scientific output. The synthesized evidence indicates that climate change alters the distribution and dynamics of coffee pests and diseases on a global scale. This is critical because it affects the bean, reduces yield, and deteriorates quality, increasing economic risk due to higher control costs, production losses, and possible trade penalties. Overall, the findings support effective long-term adaptation strategies to mitigate phytosanitary risks and strengthen productive and economic sustainability.