SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Capstone Collection SIT Graduate Institute August 2020 The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers Maeve Mallozzi-Kelly Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/capstones Part of the Development Studies Commons, Food Security Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, and the Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons Recommended Citation Mallozzi-Kelly, Maeve, "The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers" (2020). Capstone Collection. 3222. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/capstones/3222 This Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Graduate Institute at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Capstone Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers” 1 THE POLITICS OF SEEDS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON SMALL-SCALE PARAGUAYAN FARMERS Maeve Mallozzi-Kelly A Capstone research submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master in Sustainable Development at SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA. PIM 76 August 2020 Advisor: Professor Kelly Teamey “The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers” 2 CONSENT TO USE OF CAPSTONE I hereby grant permission for World Learning to publish my Capstone on its websites and in any of its digital/electronic collections, and to reproduce and transmit my CAPSTONE ELECTRONICALLY. I understand that World Learning’s websites and digital collections are publicly available via the Internet. I agree that World Learning is NOT responsible for any unauthorized use of my Capstone by any third party who might access it on the Internet or otherwise. Student name: _Maeve Mallozzi-Kelly_____ Date: _August 11th, 2020____ “The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers” 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank everyone who helped me in this process especially Breanna Thompson, Ali Maison, and Shanna Syme for keeping me on task and motivated, and Breanna Mallozzi-Kelly for her lovely editing skills. I would also like to thank all of the farmers and government officials who participated in this study for your time, patience and flexibility. I could not have done this without you. Lastly, I would like to thank all the farmers who shared their lives with me over the course of my Peace Corps service. I could never thank you enough for everything you taught me and gave me. “The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers” 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract……………………………………………………………………………..………………………6 List of Abbreviations………………………………………………………………………..……………...5 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….….…..7 Paraguay…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Capstone Framework……………………………………………………………………………………………...9 Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………………….....12 Development……………………………………………………………….…………………...……………......13 Food Sovereignty………………………………………………………………………………………...............16 Seed Sovereignty……………………………………………………………………………………...................18 Paraguayan Agriculture……………………………………………………………………………….................21 Gaps in Previous Research……………………………………………………………………………………….23 Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………………....24 Methodological Framework……………………………………………………………………………………...24 Applied Methodological Framework………………………………………………………………………….…27 Sources of Data and Population Selection Sampling Strategies ……………………………………….………..29 Data Collection Methods……………………………………………………………………..………….............31 Preliminary Data Analysis Strategy……………………………………………………………………………...32 Limitations………………………………………….…………………………………………………………....34 Context………………………………………………………………………………………….................34 Seeds and Intellectual Property Rights……………………………………………………..……………………35 Historical Influences on Seed Policies…………………………………………………………………………..39 Current Seed Policies………………………………………………………………………………………….…41 Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock’s Role in the Lives of Small-Scale Farmers……………………………45 Seed Distribution Map………………………………………………………………………….................46 Formal Seed Distribution Chain………………………………………………………………………………..48 Informal Seed Distribution Chain……………………………………………………………………………...50 Case Studies…………………………………………………………………………………….................51 Committee President: Javier……………………………………………………………………………………..51 Independent Farmer: Alejo………………………………………………………………………………………53 Farmers Market Member: Ña Zulma…………………………………………………………………………….55 Community Council Secretary: Camilo…………………………………………………………………….……56 Sugar Cane Cooperative Member: Christian…………………………………………….…………................…58 Comparative Analysis and Discussion…………………………………………………………………….59 Access……………………………………………………………………………….……………………...........60 Quality………………………………………………………………………………….……..……....................60 Mentality……………………………………………………………………………….……..…….....................61 Control…………………………………………………………………………….…………….….....................63 Climate……………………………………………………………………….………………..…………............64 Suggestions for Future Research………………………………………………………………..................66 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………...67 References…...…………………………………………………………………………………………….70 Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………………..76 “The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers” 5 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CO. CONUMARI………. National Coordinator of Rural and Indigenous Women (Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Rurales e Indigenas) DEAG……………… Agrarian Extension Department (Departamento de Extension Agraria) GDP………………....Gross Domestic Product GM…………………. Genetically Modified GMO……………….. Genetically Modified Organism IPR…………………. Intellectual Property Rights IPTA……………….. Paraguayan Institute of Agricultural Technology (Instituto Paraguayo de Tecnologia Agraria) MAG……………….. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderia) MERCOSUR………. Common Market of the South (Mercado Comun del Sur) PRODERS………….The Rural Sustainable Development Project (Proyecto de Desarrollo Rural Sostenible) RNCC………………. National Registry of Commercial Plant Varieties (Registro Nacional de Cultivares Comerciales) SEAM……………… Environment Secretary of the Republic of Paraguay (Secretaria del Ambiente de la Republica del Paraguay) SENAVE……………The National Service for Plants and Seeds Quality and Health (El Servicio de Calidad y Sanidad Vegetal de Semillas) TRIPS………………. The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights UPOV……………….International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants WTO………………...World Trade Organization WIPO………………. World Intellectual Property Organization “The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers” 6 ABSTRACT International corporate seed companies have manipulated Paraguay’s politics and agricultural development since 1995, increasing Paraguay’s use and protection of genetically modified seeds, while also undermining farmers’ control over their production and financial stability by almost eliminating markets for heirloom varieties. Paraguay continues to be excluded from research critiquing the effects of neoliberal policies on global agricultural systems. Therefore, this study aims to illuminate small-scale farmers’ experiences and bring Paraguay into the global conversation on seed sovereignty by critically examining the effects Paraguay’s national seed policies have on small-scale farmer’s development opportunities and resilience to climate change. This question guides the research: How does the political relationship between seeds and farmers influence the environmental and developmental landscape in Paraguay? Influenced by Indigenous, Political Ecology, and Sen’s Development as Freedom frameworks, this Capstone took an ethnographic perspective using five case studies with small- scale farmers. Four policies related to seed production, commercialization, quality control and distribution were then analyzed using Baachi’s problematization lens. Interviews with government officials connected to national and regional seed distribution networks informed the creation of a seed map, highlighting disparities of accessibility between hybrid, genetically modified and heirloom seeds. The main themes that emerged from analyses highlighted issues related to seed access, quality, and control, demonstrating how the manifestation of colonial development has affected every step of farmers’ production process. It is hoped that this research can act as a catalyst for future research on the topic of seed sovereignty in Paraguay, specifically research including indigenous populations and employing strong feminist theoretical orientation. Key Words: Paraguay, Seed Sovereignty, Development as Freedom, Climate Change “The Politics of Seeds and Their Effects on Small-Scale Paraguayan Farmers” 7 INTRODUCTION Farmers have been fighting for their right to save seeds and protect genetic diversity for 60 years, but their fight has only recently been given an international stage. Seeds are now recognized as a necessary step towards food sovereignty, environmental protection, basic human rights and resisting imperialistic strategies of development (Riquelme, 2016; La Via Campesina, 2010; Kloppenburg, 2014; Shiva 2016). As a student of sustainable development, food systems and climate change, learning about the impacts