Green Guerillas
The reader looks at case studies of the ‘non-traditional’ agro-export (NTAE) sector in
different Latin American countries, and examines the “bittersweet” results it has yielded.
As a response to the instability of reliance on traditional exports like bananas, coffee, and
sugar, NTAE offer less price fluxuation and more stability in world markets. However,
this promising alternative appears to be following the same pattern of risk as previous
agro-export booms, including fertilizer dependence, deforestation, and monoculture, and
a dangerous focus on export crops which compromises the consistency of the domestic
food supply. This reader provides analysis of a promising new sector of Latin American
agricultural development, and calls attention to the risks involved. It cautions against
vesting too much in the current NTAE boom.
•
•
•
•
“Meanwhile, local trade in Latin America is stagnating, and hunger and insecurity
among the majority of the regions rural people will continue to grow.” (129).
How does this relate to the dire food crises facing Haiti today?
Reliance on the world markets undermine the stability of Latin American markets.
What opportunities are available to increase local trade? How do Nafta and Cafta
fit in/ affect local trade?
The promotion of indigenous crops seems the most promising solution to me.
The greatest challenge is finding a willing market. Could that market be found
within Latin America? Wouldn’t that solve some of the issues of transporation?
I find it disturbing that foreign corporations benefit from the production of
NTAEs, and yet they produce them with such high levels of pesticides that the
importing countries refuse to take them. In other words, the US sets certain
standards of safety which it upholds for the safety and consumption of its own
citizens, but allows workers in its own production plants to work under such
insafe conditions.
Pre-Meeting Response
A key issue presented in Green Guerillas is the instability of Latin American
markets because of their reliance on global markets. However, there are multiple forces
which hinder the development of local trade: The IMF’s Structural Adjustment Policies
emphasize the development of the export sector. The increasingly popular ‘nontraditional’ agro-exports cater to North American tastes, and thus are extremely
susceptible to fluxuations in Northern appetite. NAFTA and CAFTA open up local
economies to multi-national corporations, further challenging the viability of local trade. These factors both push Latin America away from transitioning to a more self-sufficient
economy, with a more active local trade component.
Lori Ann Thrupp connects the weakness of local trade to social and political
instability within Latin American countries: “…local trade in Latin America is
stagnating, and hunger and insecurity among the majority of the regions rural people will
continue to grow” (129). Without a strong local economy, Latin American countries end
up exporting all of their agriculture, and importing all of their food for domestic use.
This arrangement is very dangerous, because if/when the global price of certain foods
goes up, poor countries will be unable to provide for their own people because they are
importing rather than producing their own food. To what extent has the current crisis in
Haiti been aggravated by an economy focused too much on exports?
The “promotion of indigenous crops with high market potential” (129) is touted as
a means of strengthening the local economy in Latin America. If products can be grown
profitably by small farmers, like snow peas in Guatemala, then this model could be
workable. However, it seems to me that most likely large corporations would be able to
infiltrate whatever indigenous crop proves marketable, and be able to dominate in the
production.
I find it disturbing that foreign corporations benefit from the production of
NTAEs, and yet they produce them with such high levels of pesticides that the importing
countries refuse to take them. In other words, the US sets certain standards of safety
which it upholds for the safety and consumption of its own citizens, but allows workers in
its own production plants to work under such insafe conditions.
Green Guerillas
of 3
Report
Tell us what’s wrong with it:
Thanks, got it!
We will moderate it soon!
Free up your schedule!
Our EduBirdie Experts Are Here for You 24/7! Just fill out a form and let us know how we can assist you.
Take 5 seconds to unlock
Enter your email below and get instant access to your document