Agroecology and the Struggle for Food Sovereignty ... - Yale University

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agroecology and the struggle for food sovereignty
like the U.S. and Canada would retain a competitive advantage in land-intensive
crops like corn and wheat. Furthermore, even if Northern direct subsidies were
eliminated, indirect subsidies in the North like government-funded agricultural
research and development will continue to skew agricultural trade in favor of
Northern countries. Without special protection for crops important for rural culture,
the environment, and daily sustenance such as corn, Latin American farmers will be
swamped by a future wave of imports and lose control over their livelihoods.
Food Sovereignty-Based Solutions
Non-government Solutions
Throughout the workshop, farmers and their advocates demonstrated that innovative
agricultural technology, agroecological principles, and the creation of new markets
can promote a balance of subsistence agriculture, market agriculture, and biodiversity
conservation. As described in this publication (see Chapter 15, “Living the
Amazonian Dream pg. 93), colonist farmers in the RECA project in Brazil’s state of
Acre established a product-to-market network entirely through farmer knowledge
and innovation. Using local trees and crops and agroforestry techniques, farmers who
once suffered from poor soil fertility and a lack of market access now cultivate,
process, package, and market local Amazonian produce such as fruit juices, hearts-ofpalm,
and nuts. Workshop participants described similar ingenuity in Guatemala and
Mexico in the face of hostile market forces and an absence of government assistance.
Their agricultural techniques combine traditional knowledge and new advancements,
and they use permaculture and reforestation practices that replenish local
environments and bolster economic self-sufficiency.
Despite these accomplishments, most participants were quick to point out that a
lack of market access remains a significant barrier to expanding agricultural
opportunities beyond subsistence. Some programs do exist. Sustainable-agriculture
certification initiatives such as the Fair Trade label and the Eco-Ok label connect
small farmers in Central and South America to consumers in North America,
guaranteeing product price and direct profit return and side-stepping market
middlemen. Designed thoughtfully and implemented diligently, these new market
arrangements are positive steps toward respecting local agency and innovation. They
also demonstrate that there are potential market opportunities for small-scale
farmers outside of government mechanisms. Such arrangements could be designed to
allow small farmers to continue their agricultural traditions and participate in
selected markets without waiting for governments to support them. Such systems are
quite new. Their impacts are only recently felt, and have yet to be analyzed in detail.
Agricultural certification schemes are an unlikely panacea. Like many kinds of
market-driven governnce, participation is voluntary and sparse.
While some small-farm advocates look beyond government for solutions, others
believe government controls must be marshaled. George Naylor, a U.S. soy and corn
farmer who is president of the National Family Farmer Coalition, explained at the
workshop that declining government price support has led U.S. farmers to abandon
farming in large numbers since the 1950s. Naylor recommends that U.S. agricultural
yale school of forestry & environmental studies