Ii. Early Settlements and Agriculture
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Polar Funez, Vivian del Carmen (2013) Participation for empowerment : an analysis of agricultural innovation in two contrasting settings of Bolivia. PhD Thesis. SOAS, University of London. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/20311 Copyright © and Moral Rights for this PhD Thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non‐commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This PhD Thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this PhD Thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the PhD Thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full PhD Thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD PhD Thesis, pagination. PARTICIPATION FOR EMPOWERMENT: AN ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION IN TWO CONTRASTING SETTINGS OF BOLIVIA VIVIAN DEL CARMEN POLAR FUNEZ Thesis Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2013 Centre for Development, Environment and Policy Department of Financial and Management Studies School of Oriental and African Studies University of London 1 Declaration of own work I have read and understood regulation 17.9 of the Regulations for students of the School of Oriental and African Studies concerning plagiarism. I undertake that all the material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person. I also undertake that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in the work that I present for examination. Candidate’s signature: Name of Ph.D. candidate: Vivian del Carmen Polar Funez Name of supervisor: Dr. Nigel Poole 2 Abstract This thesis is about the relation between participation and empowerment in two different contexts of the agricultural sector in Bolivia. It analyses the effects of a specific participatory method implemented along with technology innovation projects and depicts changes produced after a 2 year period among participating and non-participating farmers. The culture and history of the two contrasting sites – North Potosí and the Chaco regions - are analysed to evaluate their association with outcomes of the participatory implementation and changes in the sense of empowerment and asset-based components. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to identify changes in the sense of empowerment experienced by farmers, as well as changes in structure and agency evaluated through a series of asset-based components and cultural practices. Results from the study show that participatory processes were not empowering for project participants. Farmers who participated in the innovation projects with the participatory component had different perceptions of empowerment, and experienced different changes in structure and agency variables, in comparison to farmers who did not participate. Perceptions of empowerment and changes in structure and agency also varied when agriculture and market issues are analysed separately. Different types of power were manifested in different ways through agency, structure, history and culture in each study site. Cultural and historic background acted as an overarching framework affecting both participating and non-participating farmers in their sense of empowerment and the changes experienced in agency and structure. The nature and dynamics of the observed changes are used to introduce a new approach that explains how participatory processes create a “need” or a gap of dissatisfaction when economic, social and political structures restrict participation in decision making. Based on this theory, further avenues of research are explored and new research questions posed to foster deeper understanding of the dynamics of participation, empowerment and development. Key words: Power, empowerment, participation, agricultural innovation, agency, structure, Bolivian agrarian history, critical consciousness 3 DEDICATION To my daughters Mariana and Avril: for being a source of inspiration, and for happily sharing new life experiences despite difficult situations. To my son Ican who was born during the last stages of this research for giving me comfort and strength. To my dearest husband Luis for his loving support and confidence in my professional growth. To my parents Walter and Justina, for always encouraging me to follow new challenges. In memory of my sons Bruno († 29/10/2007) and Ariel († 25/05/2009) A man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. (Oliver Wendell Holmes) 4 Acknowledgements This research emerged out of Cambio Andino’s interest in understanding the dynamics of participatory methods and their potential contribution to pro-poor technology innovation systems in the agricultural sector. It was part of Cambio Andino’s research agenda in Bolivia and sought to foster the understanding of how participatory methods evolve in different contexts in order to contribute to the design of more efficient research and development interventions. I would first like to thank my supervisor Dr. Nigel Poole. Thank you Nigel for your patience, for your continuous encouragement and for helping me grow out of structural limitations and into a world of questions with infinite possibilities. I would also like to thank Dr. Frauke Urban for all of her comments and suggestions to the different chapters and drafts of this thesis. I would also like to deeply thank the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Potato Center (CIP) for the financial support provided within the framework of Cambio Andino. I would particularly like to thank Dr. Jacqueline Ashby who supported me during the first stages of the research, sharing with me her vast research experience. Thank you Jacqui for your friendship and unconditional support. A special thank you to Dr. Graham Thiele, for his follow up and concern during difficult times. The final writing up phase of this thesis would not have been possible without the financial support of The McKnight Foundation who took over funding when Cambio Andino’s second phase was discontinued by DfID. Special thanks to all of the McKnight foundation and particularly to Dr. Carlos Perez and Dr. Claire Nicklin for their commitment to strengthening local institutions and developing human resources in Bolivia. I would also like thank my colleagues at PROINPA Foundation in Bolivia. Special thanks to Dr. Antonio Gandarillas, Dr. Edson Gandarillas and Eng. Wilfredo Rojas for their support and confidence in my professional development. The fieldwork operation of this thesis would not have been possible without the support of all of the Cambio Andino team in Bolivia. A particular thank you to: Walter Fuentes and Juan Fernandez for their outstanding support throughout field implementation. Hereafter thanks to Cecilia Figueroa, Alex Durán and Rosemary Villanueva who assisted me with data 5 collection in Bolivia. Their field experience was invaluable throughout the difficult field conditions we encountered. A special thanks to the implementing partners of Cambio Andino’s pilot cases in Bolivia. Particularly to PRODII in North Potosí, the Continuous Innovation Program of COSUDE in Chaco and PROINPA Foundation. Their support for field logistics and provision of information was invaluable throughout the research. Finally, I would like to thank all of the farmer families who participated in the research. They invested time and energy sharing information about their perceptions and experiences. 6 Table of Contents Declaration of own work .......................................................................................... 2 Abstract ........................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 5 Table of Contents ........................................................................................... 7 Index of Figures ......................................................................................... 14 Index of Tables ......................................................................................... 17 Index of Pictures ......................................................................................... 18 Acronyms ......................................................................................... 19 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 22 1.1 Bolivia in a social transformation process ....................................... 23 1.2 The current Bolivian National Development Plan and the Agricultural Sector ........................................................................... 24 1.3 Research and Development Systems in Bolivia: a history of instability ......................................................................................... 25 1.3.1 The 1942 Bohan Plan ....................................................................... 26 1.3.2 The Inter-American Agricultural Service (SAI) ................................. 27 1.3.3 1975 The Bolivian Institute of Agricultural Technology (IBTA) ....... 28 1.3.4 2000 The Bolivian Agricultural Technology System SIBTA