Land and labour in Latin American agriculture from the 1950s to the 1980s

Janvry, Alain de; Sadoulet, Élisabeth; Young, Linda Wilcox

doi:10.1080/03066158908438398

Cited by 47 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Contrary to the scenarios posited by a range of neoclassical and Marxist economic perspectives (Schultz 1964;Lenin 1976), peasants in economically underdeveloped countries have not disappeared as a result of tumultuous economic change such as has occurred during the late twentieth century. In Latin America, for instance, the size of the peasantry is estimated to have increased by 43.6% between 1950 and 1980 while the number of smallfarmer households, most of them peasants, grew from 4.1 to 7.9 million (de Janvry et al 1989). Mountainous regions in Latin America undoubtedly have supported a disproportionately high share of that demographic increase.…”

Section: Agricultural Diversity In Tropical and Subtropical Mountainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

Zimmerer¹

1992

GeoJournal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The fate of agricultural biodiversity varies among the native crops produced in a mountainous region. Four native crops (potatoes, maize, ulluco, quinoa) cultivated in the southern Peruvian sierra demonstrate different patterns of cultivar loss and cultivar maintenance. Contingent social, economic and environmental conditions in mountain agriculture shape the distinct fates befalling the cultivars in each crop. Three sets of specific conditions contribute to differences in the patterning of cultivar loss and maintenance: (1) proximate conditions in the local peasant economy, particularly access among agricultural households to land, labor, and capital, and changes in the availability and quality of the three endowments; (2) the social and cultural value of the crop in the local diet and cuisine; and (3) the biogeographic patterning of cultivars. Maintenance of cultivars currently marks the ulluco and quinoa crop as well as many potato and maize types. Cultivar loss besets the fastmaturing potato S. phureja and the slow-maturing maize types. To incorporate variable in situ crop-conservation programs into development planning for montane regions requires thoroughly assessing the contingent conditions for continued production."The post-modern era has moved from genetic erosion to genetic wipe-out" (Harlan 1972: 214) "Genetic diversity in crops continues in many environments, but its continuity is particularly marked in mountain areas" (Brush 1986: 153)

show abstract

Section: Agricultural Diversity In Tropical and Subtropical Mountainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

Zimmerer¹

1992

GeoJournal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bryceson (2000: 2) defines the concept of peasantry with reference to four criteria: (i) reliance on a combination of subsistence and small-scale commodity agriculture; (ii) wide use of family labour; (iii) subordinate class position; and (iv) residence in villages or communities. For a discussion of the notions of semi-proletarianization and depeasantization, see de Janvry et al (1989), Wallerstein and Smith (1992), and Kay (1995Kay ( , 2000. Attempts at a reconceptualization of the peasantry in the context of globalization and in response to the rise of new social movements are examined by Kearney (1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Creating a Social Wasteland? Non-Traditional Agricultural Exports and Rural Poverty in Ecuador

Korovkin

2005

ERLACS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Reasons for non-adoption and adaptation of SC technologies * Farmers feel that they are unlikely to reap expected benefits because of a lack of secure access to land (Bunch, 1982: 45;Sanders, 1988;Comia et al, 1994;Wachter, 1994). * Labour costs involved in establishment and maintenance of technologies are too high, especially if farmers periodically work off-farm (De Janvry et al, 1989;Douglas, 1993;Zimmerer, 1993;Critchley et al, 1994;Stocking, 1995;Garrity et al, 1997;Lal, 1989). * Technologies do not reliably reduce soil loss and, even if they do, the reduction does not, immediately, raise yields (Pretty, 1995: 51).…”

Section: Honduras: Epitomizing the Challenge Faced By Farmersmentioning

confidence: 98%

Better land husbandry in Honduras: towards the new paradigm in conserving soil, water and productivity

Hellin

Haigh

2002

Land Degrad Dev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Land shortages are forcing more smallholder farmers to cultivate tropical steeplands. Resulting accelerated soil erosion is being countered by the promotion of soil conservation (SC) technologies, such as cross-slope barriers, which aim to reduce soil loss and preserve land productivity. However, farmer adoption rates tend to be low. This is often attributed to the farmers' conservatism or lack of education. Research in Honduras's steeplands demonstrates that farmers value SC, provided that it promotes agricultural production. Field research from 1995-98, involving farmed test plots on slopes greater than 35 per cent (19 degrees), demonstrates that at least one typical SC technology-live barriers of Vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver grass)-has little or no impact on maize yield. This means that farmers see little benefit from their investment in the SC method. They find that erratic rainfall, pests and diseases and a lack of economic resources are far greater threats to their livelihoods than soil erosion. Consequently, SC has a low priority. Keeping soil in place avoids major off-farm disbenefits. However, the SC technique tested here made no discernible difference to slope foot sediment yields during the life of this study. In sum, a new approach is needed. Promoting 'Better Land Husbandry' strategies, which seek to combine farmers' concerns about productivity with conservationists' concerns about reducing soil erosion-often via cover-management-seem to be the best way forward.

show abstract

Land and labour in Latin American agriculture from the 1950s to the 1980s

Cited by 47 publications

References 2 publications

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

Creating a Social Wasteland? Non-Traditional Agricultural Exports and Rural Poverty in Ecuador

Better land husbandry in Honduras: towards the new paradigm in conserving soil, water and productivity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About