Community 3 (C3) is located in the central Andean zone, well known for its small traditional producers (backyard) with intensive transit to local markets directly or mediated by traders; important markets are located in its centre (Cotopaxi and Bolivar provinces). C5 comprises coastal and Andean areas related to medium and industrial producers, with the largest pig market in the province of Santo Domingo. C1 in the northern Andean zone on the border with Colombia showed the largest negative degree balance (-7.967) (Table 4). C2 comprises the southern Andean areas and the littoral bordering Peru. C4 as bordering Peru shows the highest positive degree balance (10,124). The main consumption centres Guayaquil and Quito (largest cities in Ecuador), are in C2 and C5, respectively (Fig. 7A).
Figure 7. (A) Map of Ecuador showing the spatial distribution of identified communities at parish level. Province boundaries in darker grey and parish in light grey. White area without movement information. Mayor consumption centres boundaries in red (main cities). (B) Circular diagram of intra and inter-community trade movement flow; the circumference represents movements between and within communities scaled in thousands of movements.