CONSTRUCTING AND CONTESTING FOOD SOVEREIGNTY: FOOD LINES, FAULT LINES AND SEEDS OF TRANSFORMATION IN VENEZUELA Christina McGee Schiavoni 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 1 This dissertation is part of the research programme of CERES, Research School for Resource Studies for Development. This research was funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). © Christina McGee Schiavoni 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission by the author. ISBN 9789402814477 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 2 CONSTRUCTING AND CONTESTING FOOD SOVEREIGNTY: FOOD LINES, FAULT LINES AND SEEDS OF TRANSFORMATION IN VENEZUELA VOEDSELSOEVEREINITEIT: IN ONTWIKKELING EN OMSTREDEN. VOEDSELLIJNEN, BREUKLIJNEN EN ONTKIEMENDE TRANSFORMATIE IN VENEZUELA Thesis to obtain the degree of Doctor from the Erasmus University Rotterdam by command of the Rector Magnificus Prof.dr. R.C.M.E. Engels and in accordance with the decision of the Doctorate Board The public defence shall be held on Monday 29 April 2019 at 16.00 hrs by Christina McGee Schiavoni born in Boston, United States of America 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 3 Doctoral Committee Doctoral dissertation supervisor Professor dr. M.N. Spoor Other members Professor dr. H. Wittman, The University of British Columbia Dr. P. Claeys, Coventry University Dr. A. Visser Co-supervisor Dr. M. Schneider 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 4 al bravo pueblo venezolano 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 5 Contents List of Tables, Figures and Boxes ix Acronyms x Acknowledgements xiii Abstract xvii Samenvatting xix INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Overview 1 1.2 Confronting, contesting and transforming power through the construction of food sovereignty: context and problematique 6 1.3 Research objectives 11 1.4 Research questions 12 1.5 Research design 12 1.5.1 Overview 12 1.5.2 Data sources 14 1.5.3 Data collection methods 15 1.5.4 Fieldwork overview 23 1.6 Ethical considerations 30 1.7 Limitations and disclaimers 32 1.8 Chapter overview 34 PROLOGUE TO CHAPTER 2 37 CHAPTER 2: THE CONTESTED TERRAIN OF FOOD SOVEREIGNTY CONSTRUCTION: TOWARD A HISTORICAL, RELATIONAL AND INTERACTIVE APPROACH 43 Abstract 43 vi 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 6 Contents vii 2.1 Introduction 44 2.2 Food sovereignty construction in Venezuela 48 2.3 Food sovereignty construction through time: a historical approach 52 2.4 Food sovereignty construction as process: a relational approach 64 2.5 State-society relations in food sovereignty construction: an interactive approach 76 2.6 Toward a historical, relational and interactive approach to food sovereignty research 86 PROLOGUE TO CHAPTER 3 91 CHAPTER 3: FOOD POLITICS IN VENEZUELA 95 Abstract 95 3.1 Introduction 96 3.2 Colonial period and continuation of colonial patterns of production and consumption 102 3.3 Modernization period 105 3.4 Neoliberal reform and the rise of the Bolivarian Revolution 115 3.5 Contemporary period: food as control 122 3.6 Contemporary period: food as resistance (“En guerra hay que comer”) 134 3.7 Conclusion 145 PROLOGUE TO CHAPTER 4 149 CHAPTER 4: EXPLORING THE “GRAY AREAS” OF STATE-SOCIETY INTERACTION IN FOOD SOVEREIGNTY CONSTRUCTION: THE BATTLE FOR VENEZUELA’S SEED LAW 155 Abstract 155 4.1 Introduction 156 4.2 State-society interaction, political opportunity and gorras multiples in the seed law battle 160 4.3 Getting to the gray: the political backdrop of the seed law battle 163 4.4 Antecedents: competing agendas in Venezuelan seed policy 166 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 7 viii 4.5 The stages of the Seed Law battle 172 4.5.1 Moment zero: uniting forces 172 4.5.2 Moment 1: politicizing the GMO debate 174 4.5.3 Moment 2: merging legislative and popular law creation 176 4.5.4 Moment 3: public consultation vs. popular constituent debate 177 4.5.5 Moment 4: competing agendas, competing laws 180 4.5.6 Moment 5: passage in the nick of time 183 4.5.7 Moment 6: back to the grassroots 184 4.6 Conclusion 186 PROLOGUE TO CHAPTER 5 191 CHAPTER 5: THE DYNAMICS OF BUILDING AND DISMANTLING IN FOOD SOVEREIGNTY CONSTRUCTION 193 Abstract 193 5.1 Introduction 194 5.2 Food sovereignty construction through a dialectical lens 198 5.3 Logics of food system transformation and emergent areas of inquiry 200 5.3.1 Everyday life 203 5.3.2 Prefigurative politics 204 5.3.3 Societal reach 206 5.4 Crisis and transformation in Venezuela 207 5.4.1 “Prosumer” efforts 208 5.4.2 Seed Law and the Popular Seed Plan 212 5.4.3 Ministry of Urban Agriculture 215 5.4.4 CLAPs 218 5.5 Conclusion 222 CONCLUSION 227 REFERENCES 236 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 8 List of Tables, Figures and Boxes Tables: Table 1.1: Participant observation, tier 1: everyday life in El Valle, Caracas…………………………………………………………….19 Table 1.2: Participant observation, tier 2: engaged research with Social movements………………………………………………….20 Table 1.3: Participant observation, tier 3: site visits & attendance of organized events.………………………………………………...22 Table 4.1: Highlights of efforts toward food sovereignty in Venezuela that paved the way for the eventual passage of the Seed Law of 2015…………………………………………………170 Figures: Figure 4.1: Visual representation of the “moments” of the Seed Law process identified during group systematization process in October 2016……………….…………………...….......153 Boxes: Box 1.1: Everyday life in El Valle…...……………………………….24 Box 1.2: Engaged movement scholarship with Semillas del Pueblo….26 ix 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 9 Acronyms AD Acción Democrática (Democratic Action) AIA American International Association ALBA Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America) BOP Bottom of the pyramid CADA Compañía Anónima Distribuidora de Alimentos (Wholesale Food Company) CAN Comunidad Andina (Andean Community or An- dean Community of Nations) CIA Central Intelligence Agency (U.S. government) CFS United Nations Committee on World Food Secu- rity CLAP Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción (Lo- cal Provisioning and Production Committee) ERPI Emancipatory Rural Politics Initiative FGD Focus group discussion FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FEDEAGRO Confederación de Asociaciones de Productores Agropecuarios (Confederation of Associations of Agricultural Producers) FUNDARROZ Fundación Nacional del Arroz (National Rice Foundation) GM Genetically modified GMO Genetically modified organism HRI Historical, relational and interactive IALA Instituto Universitario Latinoamericano de Agroe- cología Paulo Freire (Paulo Freire Latin American University Institute of Agroecology) IBEC International Basic Economy Corporation x 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 10 xi IMF International Monetary Fund INIA Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrícolas (National Institute of Agricultural Research) INN Instituto Nacional de Nutrición (National Institute of Nutrition) IPC International Planning Committee for Food Sover- eignty IPR Intellectual property rights ISI Import substitution industrialization IVIC Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research) JAPs Juntas de Abastecimiento y Control de Precios (Provisioning and Price Control Boards (Chile)) LPIA Local, peasant, Indigenous and Afro-descendant MPA Movimento dos Pequenos Agricultores (Small Farmers Movement of Brazil) MST Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra (Land- less Workers Movement of Brazil) MUD Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (Democratic Unity Roundtable) NGO Nongovernmental organization ONDB Oficina Nacional de Diversidad Biológica (National Office of Biodiversity) OSSI Open Source Seed Initiative PACA Productora Agropecuaria Compañía Anónima (Agricultural Products Company) P.A.N. Productos Alimenticios Nacionales (National Food Products) PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (Petroleum of Vene- zuela) PESCA Pesquerías Caribe Compañía Anónima (Caribbean Fisheries Company) PL 480 Public Law 480 PSUV Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (United So- cialist Party of Venezuela) PT Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers Party of Bra- zil) REMAVENCA Refinadora de Maíz Venezolana, C.A. (Venezuelan Corn Refinery) 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 11 SAPI Servicio Autónomo de la Propiedad Intelectual (Autonomous Intellectual Property Service) SUNDDE Superintendencia Nacional para la Defensa de los Derechos Socioeconómicos de Venezuela (National Superintendence for the Defense of Socioeconomic Rights of Venezuela) TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights UN United Nations UNELLEZ Universidad Nacional Experimental de los Llanos Occidentales ‘Ezequiel Zamora’ (The Ezequiel Za- mora National Experimental University of the Western Plains) UPOV International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties USD United States Dollar USFSA United States Food Sovereignty Alliance VBEC Venezuela Basic Economy Corporation 529827-L-bw-Schiavoni Processed on: 15-3-2019 PDF page: 12 xiii Acknowledgements This work is the product of a collective undertaking, both in terms of those who have contributed to it directly and those who have supported me through it. I’m very fortunate to have had the fantastic advisory team of