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.