The Role of Institutions in Promoting Resilience …
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widespread fear. According to one of the farmers, the CONAB has worked to grant
the minimum price sale for agribusiness for a long time, but not for family farming
produce. Through the articulation of the MDA, the CONAB started, in the past
decade, to include the family farmers with the PAA, thus, when the middleman offered
a price lower than the market value, they would not sell it because they had another
option. “Now the Temer administration has defunded CONAB, not a little, it was to
kill it, and we will go back to have no other option” [my translation] (Anonymous.
2017. Interview by author). Another farmer stated that, “Temer [administration]
destroyed in one year 20 years of rights we built with struggles and blood” (my
translation) (Anonymous. 2017. Interview by author). Concerning the role of banks
and funding agencies, it seems the option is that it is a top-bottom approach that for
some does not necessarily attend to their needs. One of the farmer’s explanation was
that, “They usually want us to buy things we do not need or want, then some people
buy into the idea, and all they acquire is dept.” [my translation] (Anonymous. 2017.
Interview by author). In a top-down approach it is difficult for the needs to coincide,
but there are cases where it does. One of the communities used the facilitated line
of credit to buy three vehicles. “They do not have credit for all our deficiencies,
…but you can buy a car to distribute the production, and you have three years of
grace, that was very relevant, it changed life a little.” [my translation] (Anonymous.
2017. Interview by author). On the other hand, the most commonly observed opinion
was more in line with this farmer, who shared their experience with a recent project
implementation from the RN state Government.
First, they come here and spend way too long and too much money running diagnostics
workshops. I must have participated in at least ten of them, but every time we tell them what
we need they say, oh but this is outside the World Bank scope. …To the point that we just
ask, what is in the scope? Then they say it is participative! We already had a facility and
equipment. We need money for buying supplies and inventory, we need cash flow to improve
operations. Oh, that the World Bank cannot finance, then don’t tell me its participative, …to
say that the needs were determined by the community, please, these projects, especially those
from Sudene and the World Bank already comes in a ready package. (Anonymous. 2017.
Interview by author).
Regarding the withdrawal of institutional support and the direction of the recent
government, the negative outcomes are observed by all participants, including the
bank representatives. One economist was emphatic, stating that when institutional
policies of acquisition of production of family agriculture by the state, Municipal,
and Federal Government are present, “we observe an improvement of life there in
the base, in the field, where the farmer is living with his family. When the machine
cuts that down, we notice a significant drop in the quality of life of the countryman”
[my translation] (Anonymous. 2017. Interview by author).
663
widespread fear. According to one of the farmers, the CONAB has worked to grant
the minimum price sale for agribusiness for a long time, but not for family farming
produce. Through the articulation of the MDA, the CONAB started, in the past
decade, to include the family farmers with the PAA, thus, when the middleman offered
a price lower than the market value, they would not sell it because they had another
option. “Now the Temer administration has defunded CONAB, not a little, it was to
kill it, and we will go back to have no other option” [my translation] (Anonymous.
2017. Interview by author). Another farmer stated that, “Temer [administration]
destroyed in one year 20 years of rights we built with struggles and blood” (my
translation) (Anonymous. 2017. Interview by author). Concerning the role of banks
and funding agencies, it seems the option is that it is a top-bottom approach that for
some does not necessarily attend to their needs. One of the farmer’s explanation was
that, “They usually want us to buy things we do not need or want, then some people
buy into the idea, and all they acquire is dept.” [my translation] (Anonymous. 2017.
Interview by author). In a top-down approach it is difficult for the needs to coincide,
but there are cases where it does. One of the communities used the facilitated line
of credit to buy three vehicles. “They do not have credit for all our deficiencies,
…but you can buy a car to distribute the production, and you have three years of
grace, that was very relevant, it changed life a little.” [my translation] (Anonymous.
2017. Interview by author). On the other hand, the most commonly observed opinion
was more in line with this farmer, who shared their experience with a recent project
implementation from the RN state Government.
First, they come here and spend way too long and too much money running diagnostics
workshops. I must have participated in at least ten of them, but every time we tell them what
we need they say, oh but this is outside the World Bank scope. …To the point that we just
ask, what is in the scope? Then they say it is participative! We already had a facility and
equipment. We need money for buying supplies and inventory, we need cash flow to improve
operations. Oh, that the World Bank cannot finance, then don’t tell me its participative, …to
say that the needs were determined by the community, please, these projects, especially those
from Sudene and the World Bank already comes in a ready package. (Anonymous. 2017.
Interview by author).
Regarding the withdrawal of institutional support and the direction of the recent
government, the negative outcomes are observed by all participants, including the
bank representatives. One economist was emphatic, stating that when institutional
policies of acquisition of production of family agriculture by the state, Municipal,
and Federal Government are present, “we observe an improvement of life there in
the base, in the field, where the farmer is living with his family. When the machine
cuts that down, we notice a significant drop in the quality of life of the countryman”
[my translation] (Anonymous. 2017. Interview by author).