connects and disconnects between small scale farmers and policies_f guharay

Connects and disconnects between small-scale farmers and policies:

Lessons of the learning network Small Producers Agency in the Small Producers Agency in the Globalized MarketsGlobalized Markets

Obstacles to small-scale producer agency in policy making

- Lack or ineffective use of spaces to shape policies

- Weak representation in the policy process

- Lack of capacity for knowledge-based advocacy

- Representation without agency

Policies not supporting economic interests of small-scale producers

- Bias in trade agreements against small-scale farmers

- Policies fail to differentiate between small- and large-scale farmers

- Institutional weakness resulting inadequate policy implementation

Links between political agency and economic agency

Liberalization of national coffee market in Ethiopia

Challenging tax laws in Peru

Social movements linked with economic agency in Nicaragua

Pathways for political and civic agency

Parallel economy of indigenous Aymara in Bolivia

Smallholders mobilizing territories, cultural identity and traditional knowledge in Argentina

Reshaping the debate

We may conclude by stating that in current debates:

- Economic empowerment is given priority over political empowerment

- Small-scale farmers are excluded or not well represented in the policy debate.

- Many a times they are considered to be small versions of large-scale farmers.

- Their interests are often presented by their ‘advocates’ in highly polarized terms.

Reshaping the debate

In the new debates we must consider:

- Space and effectiveness of small-scale producers in the policy process

- Urgent need for the knowledge-based advocacy- Complementary nature of political y economic agency.- Small-scale producers as active economic actors when

faced with globalization.- The inter-relation between small farmers agency and

informality. Work out the policy implications with careful attention

to both political and economic agency.