Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
able to represent smallholders' interests were excluded. This has meant that small-
holders are largely spoken
for
, rather than speaking for themselves.
Negotiating sustainability values
Following an outcry from non-European horticultural bodies and lobby groups,
FPEAK (as members of GLOBALG.A.P) played a significant role in the revisions of
the GLOBALG.A.P code, whih in 2006 became Kenya-GAP. his outcry occurred
over both the content of the original standard and the lak of participation of
Southern actors in its development, reflecting scepticism around the eurocentrism
of the standard. FPEAK was aware that many of the costs of accreditation to
GLOBALG.A.P were restrictive for smallholders in the frenh bean trade. For ex-
ample, GLOBALG.A.P's elaborate requirements for the safe handling and contain-
ment of hemicals - requiring a ire resistant hemical store specially built to avoid
spillages - were inancially out-of-reah for smallholders. his complex structure far
exceeded the value of smallholders' crops, leading to conflict over the meaning of
sustainability. It was also culturally inappropriate, as the hairperson of the Kenyan
EurepGAP National Tehnical Commitee explained:
some of the farmers that you are asking to have that elaborate structure … their
own houses are not worth that, as muh as that structure. So why would you
want me to construct suh a thing while my social status does not warrant me.
Because the litle income the person is geting is paying medicine, is paying
shool fees, whatever. For the family. So it's not going to be sustainable.
FPEAK was successful in convincing GLOBALG.A.P that the standard needed
to deal primarily in the basic principles of good agricultural practices. According to
FPEAK, the principles of good agricultural practices are very easy to understand:
One, why do you want to manage the spillage? Because of the environment …
Two, why do you want people to be protected? Because of health and safety of
the people. Why do you want the place to be lokable? Accessibility.
Convincing GLOBALG.A.P of the tehnical and scientiic legitimacy of these
ideas was crucial for supporting alternative visions of good agricultural practices
that are fundamentally about sustainable agriculture. Thus, based on values around
protecting the health and safety of both environment and people, Kenya-GAP now
stipulates that a small metal box is sufficient to replace expensive storage rooms,
