i Patrick W. Staib Anthropology This dissertation is approved, and it ...

mantener el mercado. Si lo perdemos, perdemos todo (We have to keep this market; if we
lose it, we lose everything).”
This preference for supplying a demand over staying true to the ideals of Fair
Trade or organic production underscores a very salient social fact in San Juan del Rio
Coco. Essentially, if there is no buyer, then the certifications will not matter anyway. The
farmers perceived that they had to bend some rules for the benefit of the greater
community. This could be considered an example of Scott’s “hidden transcripts” of
resistance strategies of the weak (1991), but it is even more reminiscent of Kearney’s
notion of a post-peasant, or globalized, campesino community that must negotiate the
networks of power and make decisions to defend local interests (1996).
Based on what I observed and heard in this context, it is understandable that the
coyote persists as an important role in this community and that the co-op sometimes
assumes this role. The coyote has traditionally been a close confidant to the growers in
this commodity chain. It is difficult to redefine that century-old relationship with the
recent introduction of models that purport to offer something better. It appears that
coyotes represent the cultural tradition of building confianza (trust or confidence) among
individuals along a risky commodity chain. CLUSA has introduced important values, but
it has not altered the norms and values of the San Juan del Río Coco region. What may be
of importance to the international community or development workers does not
necessarily address the problems of this rural community.
Conclusion
There is still a long way to go before productive capacity and community collaboration
will satisfy the expectations of farmers such as Danilo and Reinaldo. Nevertheless,
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