Conference Presentations
“Principles and context of CED: A comparison of the Canadian and Bolivian experiences“ was presented by a Bolivian/ Canadian team at the 3rd ANSER conference in Montreal, June 2-3, 2010.
Gretchen Hernandez, PhD Candidate in Geography, has been researching the social economy and indigenous entrepreneurship in the Bolivian highlands. Her findings were presented at the AAG 2012 conference in NYC (Feb 27, 2012); at the Discoveries Speaker Series at the University of the Fraser Valley (Apr 5, 2012), and at the 5th ANSER conference in Waterloo (May 29 – June 1, 2012).
SFU Student Research
These are some of the research publications done by SFU students that have worked with the project. You can click on the links to download their research studies.
Moncayo, Luis. (2009). “Advancing towards food sovereignty in El Alto, Bolivia: revitalizing the consumption of native, nutritious and agro-ecological food in urban centers.”
Most field research on food sovereignty focuses on food production, circulation and consumption systems in rural communities and on the role of local organizations in sustaining local food systems, livelihoods and the environment. This thesis takes the question of food sovereignty into an urban, consumer-focused context in El Alto, a large city in Bolivia where traditional diets, based on foods of plant origin and low meat consumption, have been replaced by energy dense foods, the so-called “nutrition transition”. This thesis presents food sovereignty as a strategy to counteract the “nutrition transition” in El Alto. The thesis examines the local and structural factors that affect the viability of revitalizing the consumption of native, nutritious and agro-ecological food in the schools of El Alto.
Tegelberg, Catherine. (2009). “Small-scale agriculture in a global market: A comparative case study of Bolivian farmers participating in agrifood supply chains.”
As globalisation draws products from around the world into streamlined value-chains, consumers are simultaneously less connected to the provenance of their food and upstream actors in that chain. Actors such as agrifood producers have little authority to influence the chain or make a viable living from it. Yet the alternatives for many producers in the developing world are often more constricting. This paper compares the barriers faced by small-scale producers in lowland Bolivia before and after they have diversified their livelihoods with an export crop, coffee. The results of the case study show that while some of the problems faced by farmers endure regardless of crop, there are some that are effectively answered by participation in a larger and more robust global market. The paper also examines some of the ways that elements such as farmer associations and technical advice can be critical for successfully increasing income and livelihood sustainability.
The few climate change studies that have been done in the Valles Cruceños region of Bolivia have mainly focused on investigations of climate change impacts on the natural system. Adaptation and mitigation measures, therefore, addressed only the biophysical vulnerability of the system. This preliminary research on three rural communities in the Valles Cruceños region explores the social construction of women‘s vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Formal and informal institutions determine and distribute entitlements, and a system‘s level of vulnerability or its capacity to cope with external stressors is defined by its ability to access these entitlements. Although all community members are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, women in particular, have specific roles and responsibilities in the household and community levels that disproportionately affect their resilience to shocks and stresses. I argue that the vulnerability of women to the effects of climate change in the Valles Cruceños region of Bolivia can be attributed to the absence of support from formal institutions and the presence of constraints from informal institutions.
Carvahlo, Deborah. (2012). “Women’s Land Ownership Rights and the Limitations of the Land Titling Program in Bolivia.”
Studies recognize that formal land ownership for poor rural women in developing countries may provide socio-economic benefits that may significantly improve women’s lives. Despite the high involvement of women in rural activities, in many developing countries women experience land tenure insecurity. Bolivia has some of the most advanced gender-sensitive land laws in Latin America, which explicitly recognize the goal of gender equality in land ownership and titling programs. Yet, full implementation and wide recognition of these laws remain a challenge in practice. Using a qualitative approach based on field research in the department of La Paz, Bolivia, this thesis examines how socio-cultural practices and norms combined with institutional obstacles, may hinder Bolivian rural women’s ability to ensure their land rights are respected, recognized, and secured. The success of ensuring gender equality in land policies and titling programs must involve an analysis and consideration of the local socio-cultural frameworks that may be gender discriminatory.
Gallegos, Francisco. (2012). “Food security and Food Sovereignty in Tarija-Bolivia: Public Policy Opportunities and Challenges in Rural Communities.”
Insufficient access to water, seeds and agricultural resources, as well as low levels of education and other economic means, have affected food security levels of campesinos (peasants) in rural municipalities in Bolivia. This study, using quantitative research (household survey), assesses the demographic, economic, agricultural characteristics of 96 campesino households. Moreover, through qualitative research (interviews and document analysis), the study examines the current national policy framework and the municipal capacity to implement projects that improve campesino food security levels. Using food sovereignty as a framework, the research suggests four policy alternatives to improve agroecological productivity among rural households. Based on the analysis of
all policy options, the research recommends that municipalities increase investments in agricultural productivity projects, starting by enhancing current school feeding programs.
Hernandez, Gretchen. (Dissertation in progress). “Taking Back Development: Indigenous Communities, Social and Community Economy in the Bolivian Highlands.”
Bolivia is in a dynamic process of transformation, striving to create a development trajectory that is inclusive and equitable. A radical constitution, adopted in 2009, enshrines indigenous rights to traditional territories, and an economic model based on ‘social cooperative and community forms of economic organization’. However, it is not clear how the national government will support this development model, nor how indigenous communities understand or practice these forms of economic organization. This paper explores how three indigenous communities in the Bolivian highlands articulate social and community economy, and how national policy, social movements, and non-governmental organizations relate to these initiatives. The findings are based on qualitative field research that combined interviews, workshops, and participant observation. The research provides a comparative example of the conceptualization and practice of the social economy, with emphasis on indigenous peoples’ experience. While a sectoral approach is presented (i.e., identifying the types of organizations/ enterprises), the research also contributes to an interactive view of the social economy – its interaction with government policy, international cooperation, and social organizations. The paper concludes that while there are multiple forms of social economy present in Bolivian communities that these emerge from multiple factors and can be internally or externally driven. Further, there is significant potential for social forms of economy to support indigenous-led local development in Bolivia, but also significant obstacles to overcome. >>read more about Gretchen and her research.
