Re-conceptualizing and decolonizing resilience from a peasant perspective

ABSTRACT

The objective of this initial conceptual essay is to question conventional approaches and propose a new reading – from the perspective of the peasant world – of the concept of resilience. There is a need for critical reflections on resilience that take into account the subjects of resilience, particularly in the case of peasant agriculture. We argue that to be useful in the case of peasant societies and peasant agroecology, the concept must evolve by incorporating an understanding of the peasant condition, as well as of decolonial thought and methodologies for epistemic decolonization. We emphasize that in the peasant world there is a close relationship between relative autonomy and what we call peasant resilience.

KEYWORDS:

• Peasant agriculture
• agroecologies
• epistemology
• resilience
• chiapas

Acknowledgments

Research for this paper was partially funded through a CONACYT doctoral fellowship for the lead author, and through the project “Assessment of Diversification Strategies in Smallholder Coffee Systems” (AF 1507–086, NFDNC Engt 00063479), which is supported under the University “Thought for Food” Initiative of the Agropolis Foundation (through the “Investissements d’avenir” programme with reference number ANR-10-LABX–0001–01), Fondazione Cariplo, and Daniel & Nina Carasso Foundation. It was also supported by a BPV-FUNCAP fellowship to Peter Rosset, and by CUSRI at Chulalongkorn University.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. This is not intended to deny the utility of a number of analyses from mathematical and quantitative agroecology that have produced useful information for peasant producers (Perfecto, Vandermeer, and Wright 2009).

2. https://conciencias.org.mx/?p_=%20763.

3. 8ʹ56ʹ’ Carmello, “2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsEIIoJVESo.

4. The milpa is the traditional Mesoamerican agroecosystem consisting of maize, beans, squash, and many other crop and tree species.

5. Quijano (1988) said: “ … Given the social experiences of vast collectivities, the elements of cultural heritage can be recognized, begin to be recognized, as bearers of a historical sense in opposition to the empire of instrumental reason … ”.

6. Cerezo Editores (productor), 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObybRA7PaE.

7. 12ʹ02” Cerezo Editores (productor), 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObybRA7PaE.

8. Cerezo Editores (productor), 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v = 7ObybRA7PaE.

9. Transmodernity refers to all aspects that are beyond the structures valued by modern European or American culture, are currently in force in the great non-European universal cultures, and have been set in motion in the direction of a multicultural utopia (Dussel 2004).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (FUNCAP) [BPV-FUNCAP]; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) [Doctoral Fellowship]; and by Chulalongkorn University.