Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in Mexico
Research assessing the impacts of trade liberalization on poor rural populations can be divided intotwo categories: more quantitative research, assessing relationships between specific, measurable variables(such as changes in the macroeconomic environment and their impact on farmers’ income levels);...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad de Zaragoza, Cátedra de Solidaridad y Ciudadanía Global
2012-06-01
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| Series: | Revista Iberoamericana de Estudios de Desarrollo |
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| Online Access: | http://ried.unizar.es/index.php/revista/article/view/38 |
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| author | GROENEWALD, Sytske HELLIN, Jon KELEMAN, Alder |
| author_facet | GROENEWALD, Sytske HELLIN, Jon KELEMAN, Alder |
| author_sort | GROENEWALD, Sytske |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research assessing the impacts of trade liberalization on poor rural populations can be divided intotwo categories: more quantitative research, assessing relationships between specific, measurable variables(such as changes in the macroeconomic environment and their impact on farmers’ income levels);and more qualitative research, which takes trade policy as a context and provides broad, descriptive dataabout dynamic livelihood strategies. In this paper, we outline a framework that could be used to integratethese two approaches by unravelling the macro-micro linkages between national policies and responses ata household level. Using the Mexican maize sector as an illustration, we trace the pathways through whichtrade liberalization (including the North American Free Trade Agreement) has interacted with changes in governmentinstitutions, and thereby impacted on farmers’ livelihood strategies. We identify three pathwaysthrough which trade policy affects households and individuals: via enterprises, distribution channels, andgovernment, and we link these to a five-category typology of smallholders’ strategies for escaping rural poverty:intensification, diversification, expansion, increased off-farm income and exit from agriculture. Basedon a case-study from Chiapas, Mexico, we report on farmers’ responses to post-liberalization agriculturalpolicies. Data suggest that farmers have intensified maize production, sought more off-farm employment orhave exited agriculture altogether. The potential for smallholders to escape poverty by diversifying farms orexpanding their land-holdings or herd-size has been largely unrealized. We provide a conceptual frameworkfor linking the impacts of liberalization to farmers’ livelihood strategies and suggest that this framework isuseful in the context of agricultural modernisation initiatives that seek to increase agricultural productionand productivity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-58a1c74f17e94b1b917830cd82deaca9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2254-2035 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-06-01 |
| publisher | Universidad de Zaragoza, Cátedra de Solidaridad y Ciudadanía Global |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista Iberoamericana de Estudios de Desarrollo |
| spelling | doaj-art-58a1c74f17e94b1b917830cd82deaca92025-01-03T01:47:21ZengUniversidad de Zaragoza, Cátedra de Solidaridad y Ciudadanía GlobalRevista Iberoamericana de Estudios de Desarrollo2254-20352012-06-01115882Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in MexicoGROENEWALD, SytskeHELLIN, JonKELEMAN, AlderResearch assessing the impacts of trade liberalization on poor rural populations can be divided intotwo categories: more quantitative research, assessing relationships between specific, measurable variables(such as changes in the macroeconomic environment and their impact on farmers’ income levels);and more qualitative research, which takes trade policy as a context and provides broad, descriptive dataabout dynamic livelihood strategies. In this paper, we outline a framework that could be used to integratethese two approaches by unravelling the macro-micro linkages between national policies and responses ata household level. Using the Mexican maize sector as an illustration, we trace the pathways through whichtrade liberalization (including the North American Free Trade Agreement) has interacted with changes in governmentinstitutions, and thereby impacted on farmers’ livelihood strategies. We identify three pathwaysthrough which trade policy affects households and individuals: via enterprises, distribution channels, andgovernment, and we link these to a five-category typology of smallholders’ strategies for escaping rural poverty:intensification, diversification, expansion, increased off-farm income and exit from agriculture. Basedon a case-study from Chiapas, Mexico, we report on farmers’ responses to post-liberalization agriculturalpolicies. Data suggest that farmers have intensified maize production, sought more off-farm employment orhave exited agriculture altogether. The potential for smallholders to escape poverty by diversifying farms orexpanding their land-holdings or herd-size has been largely unrealized. We provide a conceptual frameworkfor linking the impacts of liberalization to farmers’ livelihood strategies and suggest that this framework isuseful in the context of agricultural modernisation initiatives that seek to increase agricultural productionand productivity.http://ried.unizar.es/index.php/revista/article/view/38Mexicotrade liberalizationlivelihood strategiessmallholder maize producerspoverty |
| spellingShingle | GROENEWALD, Sytske HELLIN, Jon KELEMAN, Alder Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in Mexico Revista Iberoamericana de Estudios de Desarrollo Mexico trade liberalization livelihood strategies smallholder maize producers poverty |
| title | Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in Mexico |
| title_full | Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in Mexico |
| title_short | Impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods: A case study of smallholder maize farmers in Mexico |
| title_sort | impact pathways of trade liberalization on rural livelihoods a case study of smallholder maize farmers in mexico |
| topic | Mexico trade liberalization livelihood strategies smallholder maize producers poverty |
| url | http://ried.unizar.es/index.php/revista/article/view/38 |
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