countries focus on apiculture and development of other species of livestock, medicinal plants, and cosmetics.

The technologies generated by the public and private R&D systems are oriented more towards intensive agriculture, large and medium-sized agricultural producers and agroindustry. A few of these technologies incorporate aspects related to environmental protection and conservation, mainly in countries such as Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico, with a high degree of biodiversity and threats to it or in countries that have semiarid or arid regions. The technologies generated do not take into account the most vulnerable social groups, such as small-scale producers, subsistence farmers or indigenous communities.

3.4.1.1.3 Agricultural production systems
Conditions are favorable to incorporate more know-how in agriculture, due to greater investments in education, the availability of resources for agricultural activities, and the openness of borders and markets, as well as support by companies themselves. Know-how is basically incorporated in two ways: one is by promoting new inputs to improve productivity; and the other is by implementing and verifying a series of practices designed to ensure compliance with quality standards.

The large production systems supply the external market with commodities, but they also provide differentiated products to a broad internal LAC market. A considerable proportion of small-scale producers become part of major production chains, such as the poultry chain, which is efficiently

coordinated, even though it is highly fragmented. Other small-scale producers manage to participate in market openings in their own country or in wealthier countries. A vast majority of vulnerable producers and subsistence farmers, however, remain isolated.

The opening of markets and borders creates a good climate for investment in agriculture. Access to natural resources, such as water and soil, is not a problem except for the most vulnerable production systems. Access to knowledge increases.

Large agricultural corporations that apply modern production and management methods operate with great efficiency and have high-quality products and processes. Consequently, they are more competitive on markets. Smallscale producers that participate in major chains are also generally successful. The ones that participate more independently in market openings in some cases do not perform well. Efficiency is critical for them.

Nevertheless, a good part of the small production units leave the business, because they cannot meet quality requirements, such as traceability, safety, etc., imposed by marketing and consumer systems, due to the fact that technologies adapted to their conditions are relatively unavailable and to the effects of climate change, which, although incipient, are not depreciable.

3.4.1.1.4 Result of interaction between the systems
National and transnational companies consolidate their control over the supply chains and markets served. Some of