This article was published in La Prensa Libre on October 8th, 2010 and discusses a new partnership between the women of Nueva Santa Rosa. Their hope is that this partnership will protect the agricultural industry as well as to develop the tourism industry of the area. The organization is requesting the support and assistance of the government in realizing new infrastructure initiatives.
This region boasts some of the best agricultural production in the country. The area produces considerable amounts of coffee, bananas, papayas, corn and beans. The community feels that packaging and/or processing facilities would be incredibly beneficial to the area. The article closes by encouraging the importance of economic self-sufficiency among women as a means of contributing financially to their households.
This article touches on a couple of interesting points. First and foremost is the fact that this group is relying heavily on the integral role that women have to play in the development of their communities. Time and time again women are disregarded by development projects and initiatives. While I am not certain of how labour is divided in Guatemala along gender lines, it is worth noting that these women are taking a very active role in the agriculture industry, an industry that is dominated in most parts of the world by men.
Another point worth looking at is the motivation of the community for developing their tourism industry. The article makes it seem that the motivation for developing their agriculture industry is to ultimately expand into the tourism industry. While tourism is certainly a source of income for any area, it tends to be a rather exploitative and lucrative industry.
Finally, the women of this community are calling for government support in developing their agriculture industry. As we've discussed time and time again in class, the Guatemalan government has trouble finding the money to fund such projects because of the inefficiency of their taxation system.
Hopefully this leaves us with a few things to think about over the long weekend.
Great article!
ReplyDeleteId just like to note that women are the backbone of agriculture worldwide ... particularly in developing countries. In fact women produce around 80% of food worldwide. Women taking an active role in agriculture is not new...maybe just overlooked.
It is interesting that the women hoped to expand opportunities for tourism in the area. Is the income from tourism going to replace agriculture or subsidize it. Im curious to hear what people think of tourism as a development tool!
Oh haaaaay!!
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was super interesting, well-written and thought-provoking. Just one question for clarification: Is the partnership between women and the agriculture sector of Guatemala? Or is it between Guatemalan women and the organization?
Either way, it sounds like this partnership is addressing some key factors – In my opinion, addressing the vital role that women play in food production and food security affirms the need for the full participation of women at all levels in order to achieve sustainable development.
The Domestic Agriculture Policy of Guatemala is something that has recently caught my eye. It is concentrated on improving the quality of life of the people working (directly or indirectly) in the sector through the promotion of competitiveness, special attention to traditional farmers, and managing and protecting natural resources. One of the main priorities of this policy is to promote development programs that emphasize gender equity and cultural diversity.
However, reading about your article of choice I question the effectiveness of a policy like this. Clearly this policy is not making a difference within this Nueva Santa Rosa initiative, if the women are still calling for government support. Are most of these policies just talk? I feel like this is another issues which keeps emerging in class discussions …
Love: Katrin