Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
world, lacking a large endemic academic class, and lacking significant outside attention
andresources.heabilitytocheckLVC'sclaimsofrepresentation,ortoexaminethe
extenttowhichitspeasantidentityspeakstotheworld'sonebillion-pluspeasantsis
simplynot(yet)there.
Nevertheless,animportantdistinctionforLVCasamovementisitsacknowledge-
ment and endorsement of the principle that people must have power to set their own
agendas,andthispowermustberelectedthroughalldiferentstrataofsociety—peas-
anttoconsumer,retailertoproducer,mantowoman.hemovement'sconstructionof
a peasant identity should be taken to be as much aspirational and tactical as representa-
tive—seekingtobuildaninclusiveidentitythatinvitesamultitudeofsingularities.he
rejectionoforganizationsliketheWorldBankandWTO,ofimperialstructuresand
transnationalcorporations,isarejectionoftheseorganizations'democraticunrep-
resentativenessandunresponsiveness.LVCandlikemindedmovementsobservethat
free-market structures and ideology have not provided democratic leveling and hori-
zontalparticipation;thosewithlittleornomoneyhavelittleornovoteinthemar-
ketplace.Indemandingrecognitionofthesmallfarmers'fundamentalsupportofthe
humanrace,LVCadvocatesfordeepdemocracy.Betterconnectionsbetweendifer-
ing people and identities and a true discussion of priorities and vision may not, in the
end,leadtoauniversalembraceofLVC'sspeciicgoalsandvision.YetLVC'sdesirefor
a truly sovereign, autonomous world where participatory democratic discussion and
deliberationtakesplaceispossiblyitsmostvaluableanddefensiblecontribution—one
that implies it will continue to be a touchstone within transnational food movements.
Inthissupportforanactiveandengagedcitizenship,LVCmayalsohelpcreatethe
sociopoliticalspacesnecessarytorealizethegoalsofothermovements,suchasFair
Trade,andadvancethepromisesofecologicalandagrariancitizenship(Johnsonand
MacKendrick,thisvolume;Wittman,2010).heextenttowhichLVC(andothertrans-
nationalmovements)maybewillingandabletocompromiseontheirvalueswithinthe
kind of democratic processes they seek remains to be fully tested.
Notes
1. hischapterbeneittedgreatlyfromcommentsbyMaywaMontenegro,JessicaZemaitis,
JudeWait,JamieStepniak,JamesMoore,andRonHerring.Anyerrorslikelystemfrom
failing to heed their advice, and are mine alone.
2. See,e.g.,Holt-Giménezet al.(2009),IAASTD(2009),LangandHeasman(2004)and
FAO(2012)forinformationonthesetrends.
3. Jafee(2007)providesanexcellentoverviewoftheFairTrademovement.SeealsoJohnston
andMacKendrick(thisvolume)formoreonconsumer-basedattemptstointegrateethics
and conscience into food systems.
4. Tarrow'sworkinthisareaisfoundational;interestedreadersmightadditionallyseekout
Tarrow(2005)andTarrow(2011).
5. he number of peasants making signiicant portions of their income from nonfarm
employment or remittances from family members is, however, large and growing.
 
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