Beans, community and Ceproma : comparative study of the transformation from self-consumption tomarket-oriented production in two communities in Costa Rica
Abstract: During the first decade of the twenty-first century, Costa Rica, like many other countries around the world, suffered from the international prices of basic grains. As a strategy to counteract the negative effects of this problem, the government implemented some projects to boost basic grain production, including the construction of 19 food processing and marketing centers (Ceproma). Its initial function was to serve for the self-consumption of rice, beans and maize but after a few years, their objectives changed to enter the food market. Some of these Cepromas managed to make the change while others still have difficulties to achieve it. This study consists of a comparison between two cases in the southeastern region of the country. With qualitative methods, the livelihoods approach and French sociologist Bourdieu use of theory of practice are used for analysis. The choice in the strategy of livelihoods is related to the interactions, capitals and ways of living of people. Being able to be an entrepreneur, being able to give support to the community and being able to fulfill a role of trust for the settlement has managed to produce positive results in one of the settlements. If a change is to be made, it is not possible to pretend to work in isolation with the technical aspect of production, but an integral work is necessary, taking into account people’s livelihoods, the way in which they use the resources they have, the relationship between Ceproma and community, and the impact of these changes on the families related to the settlement and the Ceproma.
AT THIS PAGE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE ESSAY. (follow the link to the next page)