Creole seeds and power relations in agriculture: Interfaces between Biopower and social agency

Abstract

The present study deals with the issue of Creole seeds from two approaches: Biopower in Biopolitics by Michel Foucault and Norman Long ‘s Actor - Oriented Perspective (POA). The objective is to relate the concept of Biopower to the global scenario of appropriation, privatization and commodification of the seeds and to discuss the contributions and fragilities of this theoretical reference, presenting the POA as a complementary approach to support these discussions. This work demonstrated that the application of the two approaches in the study of this thematic, can present novel interpretive and analytical. Experiences of networks of actors that mobilize the conservation of creole seeds, prove the social agency and dynamics against the global dictates. These are experiences that stand in the face of the tax and socio-technical standards processes for the use of commercial seeds and justify the choice of the POA as a complete approach to Biopower.

Theoretical and Conceptual Considerations for Analyzing Social Interfaces in Agroecosystems

“…They have a list of factors that guide their choices and positions, which go beyond merely productive or external influences, and counteract the idea that socio-technical impositions reach all farmers homogeneously. Many farmers have biodiverse systems, i.e., agroecosystems in which the combination of social and organizational systems with productive systems of different species and varieties are important strategies to satisfy the different uses and needs of the families (Campos and Soglio, 2020).…”

Procesos culturales y conocimientos tradicionales asociados a variedades criollas en tres localidades uruguayas

“…La sustitución de variedades nativas por comerciales, va de la mano con el escenario global de apropiación, privatización y mercantilización de las semillas. El biopoder ejercido por empresas multinacionales pone de manifiesto el carácter homogeneizador de los procesos modernizadores en el ámbito agrícola, que incluyen la transformación y modificación genética de las semillas para cumplir con estándares requeridos por el mercado y la legitimación de los derechos de propiedad intelectual empresarial (Campos & Dal Soglio, 2020).…”