In the U.S. a masters student in Agricultural Economics, Ms Kim Fender, is developing her M.S. thesis on Income domains and gender from the Gender and Livestock Research. She will conduct all her research in the U.S. and is not funded by the SR-CRSP.
In Bolivia Lily Rodríguez B.A. Economics, completed her thesis under the supervision of Jorge Céspedes at the University of Oruro. The title of her thesis is Marketing of Cattle and Sheep and Family Income in the Community of San José Llanga.
In Peru, Roberto Valdivia, not funded by SR-CRSP but advised Dr. Roberto Quiroz with co-advising by C. Valdivia successfully defended his thesis on risk in Andean Agriculture. C. Valdivia started this while working in Bolivia.
Paredes, Valeria, B.A. Sociology, El rol del género en el pastoreo. Estudio de caso: comunidad San José Llanga. (The role of gender in herding. A case study of San José Llanga). Thesis submitted to the Sociology Department, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, UMSA.
Eyzaguirre, José Luis. B.A. Economics, Production Structure and Labor Efficiency A Case Study San José Llanga. Submitted to the Department of Economics, UMSA.
The Sociology Project collaborates in this Component with Utah State University. A detail description of our contribution can be found in their section. Some additional information is presented below:
The environment: our aim is to understand and design sustainable production strategies that are economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound. By understanding the nature of production systems in Andean systems we can provide alternatives that are viable in the long run.
Agricultural Sustainability: the production system, community and regional approach used allows us to look at the Sustainability of the production system and the role of markets in this process.
Contributions to US agriculture: the focus and methods of systems research is applied to U.S. agriculture in the post productivist phase.
Contributions to the host country: by training researcher in country in on-farm research we are contributing to the development of human capital. This is crucial to any development effort in which peasant agriculture is relevant. Introduction of sociology and economics as disciplines to the design and development of biological research in Bolivia has been integral to our work in IBTA. A non governmental organization recognized by the government of Bolivia was formed by graduates from our program.
Linkages and networking: we have been able to collaborate with several NGOs, such as CIPCA and AIGACAA. We are also collaborated with ORSTOM and IDRC as well as CONDESAN. Details of this collaboration are in previous annual reports. Today we continue to foster these collaborations, even though the SR-CRSP is no longer directly involved.
Gender analysis: our study of gender and nutrition has resulted in an understanding of the important role that sheep play as a source of food and income, as well as economic power of women in the community. This is closely linked to nutrition of children. Further investment of time and research is expected in this area through collaborative linkages established in the three years are program worked in Bolivia.
Support for free markets: looking at the viability of different economic enterprises we address the issue of information as a necessary condition for development of alternative livestock related enterprises. Analysis of the role of livestock in capital accumulation and safety first attitudes can assist in economic development by providing conditions that motive investment decisions. This relates to the risk management and diversification research conducted.
Contribution and compliance with mission objectives: Food security is central to the Bolivia USAID Mission as well as was central to our Component, and on-going research themes that we pursue.
Concern for individuals: Our Component has created enough information about the Communities in which research was conducted. This has enabled members of the community to seek other development projects that are improving the quality of life in San José Llanga. Potable water, latrines, and a middle school are developments that took place in the years our component was at San José. Social networks of which the component has been a part, have been instrumental in this fast change that has benefited San José Llanga families. A booklet on San José was developed in Spanish that the community has used in this process of seeking projects to benefit their families.
Support of democracy: food security is one of the basis for democracy and of our research objectives.
Humanitarian assistance: see concern for individuals.
United States
Corinne Valdivia, Principal Investigator, University of Missouri Columbia
Michael F. Nolan, Principal Investigator, University of Missouri Columbia
Lisa Markowitz, Collaborating Scientist, University of Louisville, Kentucky.
Jere L. Gilles, Collaborating Scientist, University of Missouri Columbia.
Elizabeth G. Dunn, Collaborating Scientist, University of Missouri Columbia
Dekha Sheikh, graduate student, MU
Joan Kagwanja, graduate student, MU
Bolivia
Christian Jetté, Resident Scientist Sociology, and consultant Centro de Estudios y Proyectos.
Jorge Céspedes Estévez, Co-Investigator, and faculty member, Universidad de Oruro.
Collaborating Scientist:
Christian Jetté, Centro de Estudios y Proyectos.
Instituto Boliviano de Tecnologia Agropecuaria
P.O. Box 5783
La Paz, Bolivia
Utah State University (on going)
Markowitz, L. and Jetté, C. "Social Practice and persistence in a Fragile Environment: A Case Study from the Bolivian Altiplano". Agriculture and Human Values (forthcoming).
Valdivia, C. , Dunn E., and Jetté, C.1996. "Diversification, a Risk Management Strategy in an Andean Agropastoral Community". American Journal of Agricultural Economics. 78(5) (December).
Valdivia, C. and Jetté, C. 1996. "Peasant Households in Semi-Arid San José: Confronting Risk Through Diversification Strategies". IBTA 181/Tech. RPT. 49/SR-CRSP 47. La Paz.
Valdivia, C., Dunn E., and Sherbourne, E. 1996. "Gender, Livestock and Household Peasant Production: Dairy and Diversification in Crop-Livestock Systems of an Andean Community". IBTA 165/ Technical Report 33/SR-CRSP 31 (English). January, Columbia.
"Diversification as a Risk Management Strategy in an Andean Agropastoral Community" presented at the session on "Modeling Household Behavior in Developing Countries: New Empirical Analyses". American Agricultural Economics Meetings, San Antonio. July 30. 1996.
"Household Production and Food Security in an Andean Community" by Lisa Markowitz and Corinne Valdivia at the Association of Farming Systems Research Extension Meetings Linkages among Farming Systems and Communities. Iowa State University, November 5-8. Ames.
"The Nature of Traditional or Peasant Agriculture: The Case Study of San José Llanga in Bolivia". Valdivia, Corinne. Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri, Columbia. November, 1996.
"Technology episodes and nutrition in San José Llanga" Markowitz, Lisa, University of Louisville, Culture and Nutrition. December 5th, 1996.
Although the Management Entity of SR-CRSP officially closed the Agropastoral Research Component at the end of 1995, we continued some activities in country with the work of two Bolivian researchers. For six months the Instituto Boliviano de Investigacion Agropecuaria was kind to provide access to the facilities and support communications. Many research activities are on-going, and we hope that we will be able to continue them through the collaboration we developed. There are many areas of research that we will continue to pursue in the next year as time allows. Matching funds and PL480 support were available until de end of November and we are grateful for this support from the Bolivian Government and the AID Mission.
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