Uprooting Diversity? Peasant Farmers’ Market Engagements and the on-Farm Conservation of Crop Genetic Resources in the Guatemalan Highlands

The long-term security of the global food supply is contingent upon the on-farm conservation of crop genetic diversity. Without it, food crops lack the ability to evolve in the face of new pests, emerging plant diseases, and changing environmental conditions. The genetic diversity of many of humankind’s major food crops is cultivated in the field, primarily by peasant farmers of the global south. As the widening of global markets affects the lives of these farmers in new ways, the future provisioning of crop genetic resources and, ultimately, the security of the global food supply is in doubt. The author investigates how the participation of Guatemalan peasants in the market economy is related to the on-farm conservation of crop genetic diversity in three crops: maize, legumes, and squash. Participation in markets is not inherently detrimental to the provisioning of crop genetic resources but, without the proper protections in place, market participation may unleash processes that contribute to genetic erosion over time. The author concludes by sketching seven policy prescriptions that would encourage the on-farm conservation of crop genetic diversity in a way that is consistent with peasant farmers’ development objectives.crop genetic resources, peasant agriculture, food security, market integration, Guatemala

Towards Understanding the Politics of Flex Crops and Commodities: Implications for Research and Policy Advocacy

This discussion paper offers a preliminary exploration of the concept and phenomenon of “flex crops and commodities”, building on an earlier and initial analysis and abbreviated idea put forward by some of the authors of this paper. We discuss the dual concepts of the “multiple-ness” and “flexible-ness” of crops and commodities as two distinct but intertwined dimensions of some key crops and commodities. These key crops and commodities are shaped by the changing global context that is itself (re)moulded in large part by the convergence of multiple crises and the various responses to those crises. Building on these dual concepts, we will identify and explain the minimum requirements for crop and commodity flexing. We will also try to typologize the various types of crop and commodity flexing, namely, “real flexing”, “anticipated/speculated flexing”, and “imagined flexing”—to allow for a deeper examination of these interrelated processes. The boundaries between these categories (multiple/flexible, real, anticipated and imagined) are not always clearly demarcated, requiring us to examine the issue of flex crops and commodities in a more interlinked manner. We will focus our initial exploration on the political dynamics of such interactions and intersections, looking into the factors that encourage or discourage, facilitate or hinder maximization of the “multiple-ness” and/or “flexible-ness” of particular crops and commodities. Finally, and as a way of closing, we will outline the implications of these dynamics for how we think of engaged research, public actions and policy advocacy, including a brief discussion of what we call “flex policy narratives” by governments and corporations.

The complex dynamics of agriculture as a financial asset: introduction to a symposium

The contemporary process of financialization has been a major driver of the remarkable changes witnessed in global food and agricultural markets over the past decade, contributing to the rise and subsequent volatility of food and agricultural commodity prices since 2006. In the wake of these developments it has become clear that the turmoil has intensified the relationship between agriculture and finance in ways that have profound and enduring implications for the sector, and the people whose lives and livelihoods depend upon it. This symposium brings together four original research articles that contemplate the contemporary relationship between the agrifood and financial sectors. They examine a variety of overlapping themes, including the creation of financial assets from farmland and agricultural commodities, the activities of different types of investors in these assets in specific geographic contexts, and the challenges of governing this activity at the global scale. These articles show that the period of market volatility that began a decade ago reinvigorated investor interest in financial products linked to agriculture and farming, and inspired the packaging of new farms of financial assets in ways that have affected politics and practice on the ground, and are likely to leave a lasting legacy

Phosphatidylserine on viable sperm and phagocytic machinery in oocytes regulate mammalian fertilization

Fertilization is essential for species survival. Although Izumo1 and Juno are critical for initial interaction between gametes, additional molecules necessary for sperm: egg fusion on both the sperm and the oocyte remain to be defined. Here, we show that phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) is exposed on the head region of viable and motile sperm, with PtdSer exposure progressively increasing during sperm transit through the epididymis. Functionally, masking phosphatidylserine on sperm via three different approaches inhibits fertilization. On the oocyte, phosphatidylserine recognition receptors BAl1, CD36, Tim-4, and Mer-TK contribute to fertilization. Further, oocytes lacking the cytoplasmic ELMO1, or functional disruption of RAC1 (both of which signal downstream of BAl1/BAl3), also affect sperm entry into oocytes. Intriguingly, mammalian sperm could fuse with skeletal myoblasts, requiring PtdSer on sperm and BAl1/3, ELMO2, RAC1 in myoblasts. Collectively, these data identify phosphatidylserine on viable sperm and PtdSer recognition receptors on oocytes as key players in sperm: egg fusion

Lung development in laminin γ2 deficiency: abnormal tracheal hemidesmosomes with normal branching morphogenesis and epithelial differentiation

BACKGROUND: Laminin γ2 (Lamc2), one of the polypeptides in laminin-332 (laminin-5), is prominent in the basement membrane of alveolar walls and airways of developing and adult lung. Laminins are important for lung morphogenesis and based on its localization, a function for laminin γ2 in lung development has been hypothesized. Targeted deletion of the laminin γ2 gene in mice results in skin blistering and neonatal death at 3–5 days after birth due to failure to thrive. METHODS: Examination of lung development in Lamc2-/- mice through 1–2 days postnatal was accomplished by morphometric analysis, lung bud culture, electron microscopy, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Compared to littermate controls, Lamc2-/- lungs were similar in morphology during embryonic life. At post-natal day 1–2, distal saccules were mildly dilated by chord length measurements. Epithelial differentiation as evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for markers of ciliated cells, Clara cells, alveolar type I cells and alveolar type II cells did not reveal a difference between Lamc2-/- and littermate control lungs. Likewise, vascular development, smooth muscle cell differentiation, and elastic fiber formation looked similar, as did airway basement membrane ultrastructure. Branching morphogenesis by lung bud culture was similar in Lamc2-/- and littermate control lungs. Since laminin-332 is important for hemidesmosome formation, we examined the structure of tracheal hemidesmosomes by transmission electron microscopy. Compared to littermate controls, Lamc2-/- tracheal hemidesmosomes were less organized and lacked the increased electron density associated with the basement membrane abutting the hemidesmosome. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that laminin γ2 and laminin-332, despite their prominence in the lung, have a minimal role in lung development through the saccular stage

Keeping secrets from parents: Longitudinal associations of secrecy in adolescence

Contains fulltext : 55705.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)A 2-wave survey study among 1173 10-14-year-olds tested the longitudinal contribution of secrecy from parents to psychosocial and behavioral problems in adolescence. Additionally, it investigated a hypothesized contribution of secrecy from parents to adolescent development by examining its relation with self-control. Results showed that keeping secrets from parents is associated with substantial psychosocial and behavioral disadvantages in adolescence even after controlling for possible confounding variables, including communication with parents, trust in parents, and perceived parental supportiveness. Contrary to prediction, secrecy was also negatively associated with feelings of self-control. Secrecy from parents thus appears to be an important risk factor for adolescent psychosocial well-being and behavioral adjustment.12 p

Uprooting Diversity? Peasant Farmers’ Market Engagements and the on-Farm Conservation of Crop Genetic Resources in the Guatemalan Highlands

The long-term security of the global food supply is contingent upon the on-farm conservation of crop genetic diversity. Without it, food crops lack the ability to evolve in the face of new pests, emerging plant diseases, and changing environmental conditions. The genetic diversity of many of humankind’s major food crops is cultivated in the field, primarily by peasant farmers of the Global South. As the widening of global markets affects the lives of these farmers in new ways, the future provisioning of crop genetic resources and, ultimately, the security of the global food supply is in doubt. In this paper I investigate how the participation of Guatemalan peasants in the market economy is related to the on-farm conservation of crop genetic diversity in three crops: maize, legumes, and squash. I find that participation in markets is not inherently detrimental to the provisioning of crop genetic resources but that without the proper protections in place market participation may unleash processes that contribute to genetic erosion over time. I conclude by sketching seven policy prescriptions that would encourage the on-farm conservation of crop genetic diversity in a way that is consistent with peasant farmers’ development objectives

Between the market and the milpa: Market engagements, peasant livelihood strategies, and the on -farm conservation of crop genetic diversity in the Guatemalan highlands

In this dissertation I investigate the impact of market expansion upon peasant livelihood strategies and the on-farm conservation of crop genetic resources in the Guatemalan highlands. In particular, I explore how the formation and reconfiguration of different types of market activities in the Mesoamerican “megacenter” of agricultural biodiversity have shaped the relevance and practice of cultivating milpa - a peasant agricultural practice where maize is intercropped with beans, squash, medicinal herbs and other useful plants for direct household consumption. I focus upon the diversity of the three principal milpa crops - maize, legumes, and squash - during the current era of globalization (1980 - 2005). On the macroeconomic level, I find that the neo-liberal restructuring of the Guatemalan economy that began in the 1980s has undermined the country\u27s long history of maize self-sufficiency and contributed to the loss of crop genetic resources, ultimately threatening local and global food security. Economic liberalization is associated with a substantial reduction in the share of agricultural land allocated to maize - including many genetic hotspots - and an influx of imported grain. Additionally, neo-liberal agricultural policies have pushed farmers in many centers of maize genetic diversity to abandon the crop in favor of non-traditional agricultural exports. Drawing upon quantitative and qualitative fieldwork in two highland communities, I also investigate the processes that shape peasant livelihood strategies and the cultivation of milpa diversity at the household level. Four variables are consistently linked to the level of diversity maintained on the farm: (1) agricultural biodiversity is positively associated with the size of farmers\u27 arable landholdings; (2) peasant households maintain diversity as a means for hedging against the risks of environmental uncertainty and the caprices of market-based income sources; (3) cultivating diversity is a form of recreation and a means for expressing cultural identity; and (4) reliance upon hired field hands is negatively associated with diversity management. In contrast to the predictions of many economic theorists, I find that most forms of market participation are complementary to the cultivation of crop genetic resources. The complementarity is attributable to the structure of Guatemala\u27s rural economy and several non-market entailments generated by milpa agriculture

Market Provisioning and the Conservation of Crop Biodiversity: An Analysis of Peasant Livelihoods and Maize Diversity in the Guatemalan Highlands

Summary This paper queries the common assumption that market linkages contribute to the loss of agricultural biodiversity, thereby threatening long-term food security. Drawing upon empirical data collected from two villages in the Guatemalan highlands, it documents how various types of market engagements are related to the on-farm conservation of maize diversity. While some market activities are associated with lower measures of diversity, most forms of market provisioning--including the allocation of resources to market production--are not. The quantity of land controlled by farmers is positively correlated with maize diversity and is an important determinant of their participation in the market economy.agricultural biodiversity food security peasant livelihoods rural development Latin America Guatemala