These activities, spawned in the last two decades, took advantage of low land prices

in economically depressed areas, abundant and cheaper non-qualified labor, and

sometimes, governmental benefits aimed at reactivating national economies.

 Given that the benefits established to attract foreign investment meant a decrease of

worker's salaries, it also implied/provoked/made necessary a change in labor force

reproduction, which shifted from the state to the household, and within the households

from men to women (Deere and Leon, 2002:5). Since the new economic paradigm that

structural adjustment promoted looked for cost optimization in all production steps, it

was necessary to incorporate non-qualified labor to do some tedious and time consuming

tasks needed in the NTAEs. Women became the first choice for these activities.

 Flower Agribusiness: The Most Successful NTAE in Ecuador

 As discussed before, the economic trend promoted by neoliberal policies favored

the development of productive activities related to products easily marketable at

international markets, and based in agriculture modernization, which is known as

NTAEs. Flower agribusiness is one of the more successful examples of non-traditional

agricultural exports. Initiated in the late 1970's, it has become one of the most important

export activities of the Andean countries, due to favorable climatic conditions and long

sunlight exposure. In contrast to the poor results of most of the traditional economic

activities in these countries, flower agribusiness has emerged as a leading source of

national earnings and as an important source of employment.

 In Ecuador, flower agribusinesses are principally located in the Andean region

where flower plantations found inexpensive land and abundant non-qualified labor

(Herrera 1999). The Andean rural areas have a traditional economy with very few cash

generating activities, and flower agribusiness represented the most accessible and