This paper is based on the theory that a society's nutritional wellbeing is both a cause and a consequence of the developmental processes within that society. Household decisions relating to the fulfillment of basic needs are therefore affected by decisions on the allocation of time. The authors summarize the results of the estimation of a model of household production and consumption behaviour with data from a cross- sectional survey of 30 rural communities in Veraguas Province, Panama. The model of the households included household production activities — nurturing food production and leisure — as well as participation in the rural labour market.