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Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: Context, Evolution and Current Situation | 27

Box 1-5. Measuring farmers’ agroecological resistance to Hurricane Mitch in Central America. Source: Holt-Giménez,
2002, 2006.
A study using a participatory action research pproach and simple field techniques found ignificant differences in agroecological resistance between plots on conventional and sustainable farms in Central America after Hurricane Mitch. On average, agroecological plots on sustainable farms had more topsoil, higher field moisture, more vegetation, less erosion and lower economic losses after the Hurricane than control plots on conventional farms. The differences in favor of these agroecological plots tended to increase with increasing levels of storm intensity, increasing slope and years under agroecological practices, though the patterns of resistance suggested complex interactions and thresholds. For some indicators, agroecological resistance collapsed under extreme stress.

With the help of 40 NGOs and 99 farmer-technician teams, 1,743 farmers measured key agroecological indicators on 1,804 plots paired under the same topographical conditions. These paired observations covered 360 communities of smallholders from southern Nicaragua to eastern Guatemala. The broad geographical coverage took into account the diversity of ecological conditions, a variety of practices common to sustainable agriculture in Central America, and moderate, high and extreme levels of hurricane impact. This coverage, and the massive mobilization of farmer technician field research teams, was made possible by the existence of a widespread smallholders’ network for sustainable agriculture called Movimiento Campesino a Campesino (Farmer to Farmer Movement).

Comparatively higher levels of agroecological resistance are
an indication of lower vulnerability and higher sustainability. However, the effectiveness of practices appears to be bounded by a combination of steep slopes, maintenance and design of soil conservation structures, and extremely high storm intensity.

A number of methodological lessons were learned about the tradeoffs between participation and scientific rigor from the study. The ability to gather large amounts of data across wide areas had advantages, but it was learned that care must be taken to maintain the process of scientific inquiry among groups, instead of focusing solely on protocol.

After analyzing the results, agroecological and conventional farmers designed strategies for participatory, sustainable reconstruction and identified the factors driving and limiting the development of sustainable agriculture. They proposed policies for participatory sustainable reconstruction and sustainable agricultural development. Participants presented their findings in national meetings to representatives from government and international NGOs, and later distributed them publicly. Although the study was influential in reconstruction activity in villages and programs where MCAC is already present, it had negligible impact on national policies for reconstruction.

The study concludes that while the Movimiento Campesino a Campesino has successfully advanced the technical and methodological aspects of sustainable agriculture, a policy ceiling is currently limiting the generalized spread of sustainable agriculture among smallholders in Central America.

 

Biological Diversity, International Labour Organization [ILO] Convention 169), by financial and development organizations (World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, USAID, European Union) and by international conservation organizations (World Wildlife Fund (WWF), World Conservation Union (IUCN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC). A number of countries of the region have adopted and ratified ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, which could significantly benefit indigenous peoples. Nonetheless, the states of the region, which are members of the United Nations, do not display a coherent, significant and clear will to implement, in practice, this Convention.

1.6 Recent Evolution and Current Situation of Agriculture in LAC
1.6.1 Importance of agriculture to Latin America and the Caribbean
Agriculture is much more than simply the production of economically important goods. As a source of food for human beings and animals, fiber, materials for construction and for crafts, oil and fuel, agriculture is vital for the cultures and

 

communities that produce them and plays a critical role for the goals of sustainable development and reducing poverty and inequality. Recently special emphasis has also been placed on the role of agriculture in providing environmental services such as mitigation of the effects of climate change, regulation of the water cycle, erosion control, maintenance of habitats for wildlife and preservation of landscapes and places of religious importance. In this sense, agriculture is a multifunctional activity (Chaparro, 2000; Cahill, 2001; Dobbs and Pretty, 2004; Brunstad et al., 2005). This doesn’t mean that agriculture can simultaneously satisfy all these functions, since that depends on specific contextual characteristics. Nonetheless, these multiple functions of agriculture should be taken into consideration, especially in the context of development and sustainability goals.

          In the last 50 years agriculture has contributed only 10 to 12% of GDP; it has been secondary to other productive activities. Nonetheless, agriculture still represents a key sector of the Latin American economy, as it accounts for a large part (30 to 40%) of the economically active population. In those countries that lack minerals and oil, agriculture represents the main source of exports and foreign exchange. Agriculture is a relatively more important part of

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