Briefing Papers Number 11, January 2011 | Page 9

www.bread.org Bread for the World Institute  9 Andrew Wainer them enough money to survive, but little more. The 2008 who are intensely interested in helping their homelands—to World Development Report describes the challenges in pro- provide culturally relevant agricultural technical assistance viding pathways out of rural poverty for risk-averse small overseas.48 farmers, “The inability [of small producers] to cope with shocks induces households to adopt low-risk, low-return ac- Credible, Motivated Local Partners tivities.”47 Thus, the first stage of the For a Just Market projA key to working effectively with small farmers in Mexico ect trained the smallholder apple farmers how to access the is partnering with a Mexican organization such as a local or apple market on better terms while also transmitting new regional farmers’ cooperative. techniques for producing higher-quality apples. Perhaps the most important component in the For A Just In order to train the apple farmers how to most profitably work with the apple market, CRS hired a Washington Market project is its local partner, the Frente Democrático state agronomist who visited the farmers in Chihuahua and Campesino (FDC or Farmers’ Democratic Front). The FDC trained them how to monitor the Mexican apple markets is a regional small and medium-sized farmer organization on the Internet. With better knowledge of the market, the based in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. It was small farmers could increase the income generated by their formed in 1985 in reaction to the Mexican government’s orchards by selling the apples when their price was peaking. removal of bean and corn price guarantees.49 For Mexican In addition to the market analysis training, CRS facili- small and medium producers, it’s almost a requirement to tated the transmission of state-of-the-art apple orchardist collectivize in order to access affordable agricultural inputs, techniques. Beginning in 2005, an exchange program was product markets, and government support.50 Since its founding, the FDC has adopted a two-pronged created between the Chihuahua apple farmers and Broetje approach to providing its 5,000 family membership with Orchards’ Mexican immigrant agricultural laborers. After decades of working on the cutting edge of apple farming in economic opportunity: developing productive and commerthe United States, the immigrants knew how to produce the cial strategies to increase income and generate employment, most valuable apples for market. The techniques they intro- and participating in collective action and advocacy for polduced to the Chihuahua farmers included tree pruning and icy changes beneficial to small and medium-size farmers in trimming, drip-irrigation, tree spacing strategies, and how to Chihuahua. Organizations active in agricultural policy advocacy like use anti-hail netting. the FDC can have a two-fold impact on reducing migration In January 2006 a group of Chihuahua apple farmers visited Broetje Orchards to learn from the Mexican immigrant pressures. First, these organizations provide an infrastrucworkers. The first delegation of Broetje Orchard apple work- ture able to receive, disseminate, and sustain rural economers and managers visited the Chihuahua farmers in July, ic development expertise and resources. Second, working 2006 to impart their orchardist expertise. One of the pri- with small and medium producer organizations can genermary techniques introduced to the Chihuahua farmers was ate secondary impacts through strengthening civil society limiting the amount of apples grown on each tree branch so organizations that advocate for policies that support rural that a smaller number of higher-quality apples are produced. populations. “[It] totally changed my mentality,” Chihuahua apple farmer Daniel Delgado said. Chihuahua farmers appreciated learning the techniques from compatriots who share a common language and culture. “[The immigrant technical advisors] are people who know things, who have a big mentality, but who are modest,” Chihuahua farmer Isidro Molinar said. Barrett also emphasized the differences between traditional technical assistance and immigrant trainers. “If a bunch of gringos were doing that, it would just reinforce the idea that these gringos have all the knowledge,” Barrett said. While USAID facilitates farmer-to-farmer programs that bring U.S. agricultural volunteers to the developing world to provide technical assistance to farmers, it does not draw upon the United State’s agricultural CRS Mexico and Vista Hermosa Foundation representatives provide workforce—a majority of whom are immigrants and technical assistance to apple farmers in Chihuahua, Mexico.