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Gendered Blackberry Gendered Blackberry Fields Fields

(fruit, not cell phones!):(fruit, not cell phones!): Globalization, Non-traditional Globalization, Non-traditional

Export Production, and the Export Production, and the Hidden Costs of Pesticide Hidden Costs of Pesticide

ExposureExposureDonna L. Chollett, AnthropologyDonna L. Chollett, Anthropology Thursday Thursday Afternoon Afternoon

Faculty Faculty SeminarSeminar

May 6, May 6, 20102010

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Los Angeles, MichoacLos Angeles, Michoacán, án, MexicoMexico

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San Sebastián, Closed 2002San Sebastián, Closed 2002

3

444

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Some TerminologySome Terminology

Los Reyes — regional cityLos Reyes — regional city Los Angeles Los Angeles —— research research

communitycommunity CaCañeros — cane growersñeros — cane growers Ejidatarios — agrarian reform Ejidatarios — agrarian reform

landholderslandholders NTAE NTAE —— non-traditional non-traditional

agricultural Export productionagricultural Export production

66

777

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Kelsey Interviewing RosauraKelsey Interviewing Rosaura ““Todos Somos Todos Somos

Dueñas: Dueñas: Sustainability of a Sustainability of a Tortillería Tortillería Cooperative in Cooperative in Michoacán, Michoacán, Mexico”Mexico”

2004 2004 EthnographiEthnographic Field c Field School in School in MexicoMexico

8

99

1010

The Sugar The Sugar War: War:

HFCS vs. Cane HFCS vs. Cane SugarSugar

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1212

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The Santa Clara Sugar MillThe Santa Clara Sugar Mill

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In the Shadow of the Sugar In the Shadow of the Sugar MillMill

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FromFrom

Cane to Cane to

BlackberriBlackberri

eses

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““Blackberry Row”Blackberry Row”

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The AgribusinessesThe Agribusinesses

U.S.U.S. ChileanChilean MexicanMexican

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Economic DifferentiationEconomic Differentiation Sugar Cane (previously):

10,000 hectares 1500 cane growers Health insurance and pensions

Blackberries & Raspberries (2006) 3000 hectares converted from

cane 800-1000 growers 6.5 million boxes of berries per

year Annual profits of $46,742,720 Los Angeles – ¾ of land is rented

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The Transition From a Male-Dominated The Transition From a Male-Dominated Agricultural Domain to a Female-Agricultural Domain to a Female-

Intensive Intensive Waged Labor forceWaged Labor force

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2020

The Wages of Work The Wages of Work

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Ten Boxes = Ten Boxes = $10.90 $10.90 Dollars Per DayDollars Per Day

= $1.09 Per Box= $1.09 Per Box

= $.09 Cents Per = $.09 Cents Per ContainerContainer

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Tarascan Tarascan Women Women WorkersWorkers

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Discrimination Against Discrimination Against Tarascan Workers Tarascan Workers

““It is the most difficult thing to It is the most difficult thing to work with indigenous people. work with indigenous people. They don't speak Spanish and They don't speak Spanish and they don't understand. There is they don't understand. There is a lot of ignorance. They have a a lot of ignorance. They have a very low culture. If there is the very low culture. If there is the slightest irregularity, they leave“ slightest irregularity, they leave“ —Sun Belle Manager—Sun Belle Manager

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Segmenting the Berry Segmenting the Berry Labor MarketLabor Market

““Men’s WorkMen’s Work””

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““Women’s Work”Women’s Work”

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Rosa Rosita Proceso

272727

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Aaron Presentating Aaron Presentating Research to the Research to the

Community:Community:““Exchange and the Exchange and the

Environment: a study of Environment: a study of agricultural practice and agricultural practice and

information transmission in information transmission in the Gildardo Magaña Ejido”the Gildardo Magaña Ejido”

2004 2004 EthnograpEthnographic Field hic Field School in School in MexicoMexico

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Companies’ Rejection of Companies’ Rejection of FruitFruit

Leobardo:Leobardo: “They said the fruit arrived with “They said the fruit arrived with mold. God knows! How would we know? mold. God knows! How would we know? When the packing company receives our fruit, When the packing company receives our fruit, then it is the company’s responsibility. That is then it is the company’s responsibility. That is what we said, but they denied that. What what we said, but they denied that. What could we do?”could we do?”

Alicia:Alicia: “Hursts was good at first, but they “Hursts was good at first, but they began to reject the fruit. They were saturated began to reject the fruit. They were saturated with growers. I had to work under the hot sun, with growers. I had to work under the hot sun, with the thorns of the blackberries. That made with the thorns of the blackberries. That made me very angry. They returned a mountain of me very angry. They returned a mountain of boxes—60, or 70, or 80, sometimes all of it. It boxes—60, or 70, or 80, sometimes all of it. It made me mad. It was a pretext.”made me mad. It was a pretext.”

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Organophosphates:Organophosphates: Non-persistant, more toxicNon-persistant, more toxic

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons:Chlorinated Hydrocarbons: Persistant, less toxicPersistant, less toxic

Grower mentioned chemicalsGrower mentioned chemicals::Permethrin (Permitrina)—banned in Permethrin (Permitrina)—banned in CanadaCanadaAzinphos methyl (GusatiAzinphos methyl (Gusatiónón)—highly toxic)—highly toxicBenomyl (Binolate)—endocrine-disrupting Benomyl (Binolate)—endocrine-disrupting effectseffectsCaptan—carcinogenic fungicideCaptan—carcinogenic fungicideCarbaryl (SevCarbaryl (Sevín)ín)—endocrine-disruptor, —endocrine-disruptor, causes mutationscauses mutationsMethyl parathion—organophosphate, Methyl parathion—organophosphate, “extremely toxic”“extremely toxic”Paraquat (Gramaxone, MetParaquat (Gramaxone, Metílico)--#1 cause ílico)--#1 cause of poisoningsof poisonings

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Gender & Household Gender & Household DiversityDiversity

Wide age range (13-67)Wide age range (13-67) Single, married, divorced, Single, married, divorced,

widowed, abandoned, single widowed, abandoned, single mothersmothers

Life cycleLife cycle Economic statusEconomic status

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Irma & Irma & RafaelRafael

AGRICOLA LOS REYES

GARABAY MORALES IRMA

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An Uncertain FutureAn Uncertain Future

Ingenio Ingenio PuruarPuruaránán

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ConclusionsConclusions Northern demand, Northern demand,

transnational agribusiness, transnational agribusiness, and household arrangements and household arrangements in the Global South are bound in the Global South are bound in a network of dialectical in a network of dialectical contradictions that are contradictions that are constitutive of emergent class constitutive of emergent class and gender differentiation and and gender differentiation and shifting hierarchies of power shifting hierarchies of power