Chapter 7: The environment and rural women
Latin America and the Caribbean have vast amounts of natural resources, fertile soils, abundant water, mining, cattle, forestry and fishing resources which have yet to be exploited. This natural wealth co-exists with important environmental problems adopt different forms depending on the country.
Currently, the excessive increase in the population is related to environmental damage. Although the evidence confirms so, a more detailed analysis should be considered, proposed by CEPAL/CELADE (1993), which states environmental problems in rural areas vary depending on the country and even within the same country. In general terms, the following situations could be differentiated:
a) in rural areas bearing a numerous population, a trend to overexploit available resources has been observed;
b) in those areas where resources abound in respect to the population, the type of exploitation most generally does not match local demands, as it is orientated to markets that import raw materials and energy from these areas, frequently exceeding the natural recovery time of the resources. The latter worsens in areas selected for large-scale commercial production requiring an excessive use of machines and chemical substances thereby damaging hydric and soil resources, and affecting people's health;
c) in areas of old population settlements and where natural resources have a certain independence, unequal land distribution leads to under or overexploitation of the resource; and
The different colonization movements in productive an demographic borders have produced mass deforestation, river pollution and soil leaching (lixiviation). When biodiversity is destroyed and indigenous populations vacated - who historically have enjoyed amiable relationships with the environment irreversible damage can be caused in some areas. However, the main responsible agents of these problems are not the colonials, but the large companies that settle in the region. In Hogan's work ("Growth and distribution of the population: its relationship with development and the environment", CELADE, 1992) reference is made to the fact that "there is information supporting the fact that these settlements are mainly deteriorated by exploitation methods of natural resource. and the use of the land by large companies" (Pg. 73).
Demographic pressure is not the only cause for environmental problems. In all the areas where major natural damages have been caused and where a physical crisis on the infrastructure has been experienced, demographic pressure has gone hand in hand with the land's unfair distribution and income, production and consumption patterns which are incompatible with survival, lack of adequate policies and profitable businesses for the exploitation of resources. There are also some cases where demographic pressure has been absent: deterioration of forests and rivers in the heart of South and Central America have mostly become objects of intense exploitation projects of natural resources (wood, mining and energy sources). Environment-related problems facing South America result from major mining projects, form the construction of dikes and dams without adequate assessments of environmental impacts, and from the introduction of foreign species which are harmful to the ecosystem. Most of the environmental decline in the Caribbean countries is related to large touristical initiatives.
Both women and men living in rural areas in this Region share the aforementioned environmental problems which primarily affect poor families. As it has been seen, economic development strategies based on resources imprudent exploitation are largely responsible for the deterioration of the environment. Currently, as a result of this, it is necessary to "... rethink the natural resource contribution to the Region's development and consider a sustainable development. This is to say, a development which considers economic growth objectives, social justice and environment conservation" (CEPAL 1990b).
The woman-environment ratio can be analyzed from a wider point of view which is living quality. It could be said that women have played a fundamental role in environmental problems when fighting living conditions and family deterioration, and when requiring improvements such as basic services, adequate homes, heath and education. Likewise, there are many who support the idea that rural women, from their direct contact with seed handling and use and by knowing and using the plants and species growing in the region and their properties have developed a greater awareness of the environmental problems and the need to preserve resources (FAO 1993d).
Rural women have been defined as a key element in sustaining the environment, mainly because of the role they play in daily and generation reproduction. In this manner, Karremans, Radulovic and Lok (1993) state that a sustainable agricultural production implies the preservation and restoration of natural resources and a sustained family working capacity from one agricultural cycle to the another and from one generation to another. Generally, maintaining this working force has been, traditionally, a feminine task regarding biological reproduction and domestic management. Also, family support is granted by social networks supported by women to which the family can access when in crisis. To sum up, Women knowledge of natural resources, sometimes exclusive (for example regarding medicinal plants), their role in maintaining the production and local community union and their performance as workers clearly attests to their active, indispensable role played in maintaining a sustainable agricultural and cattle development. (pg. 224).
The relationship between women and the environment preservation is not very clear at first sight. For one, many women are not considered as real agents in the environmental area. That is to say, even though there are many women and feminine organizations that have worked in environmental problems in their own communities, most people do not perceive their action as part of pro-environmental actions (INSTRAW, 1993). Also, it seems that ecological groups and other similar groups tend to be urban. This apparent inconsistency may be due to a methodology which can hide reality: the fact that real actions are taken showing a favorable degree of environmental awareness does not mean that there is a clear consciousness. Furthermore, even though people perform such actions, it does not mean they are related to ecology movements. As a matter of fact, formal organizations are urban rather than rural and it would be an exaggeration to consider that urban ecology movements represent the most meaningful movements.
The literature reviewed to create this document did not reveal empiric evidence regarding women's concrete actions to protect the environment; however there are several references with respect to the preservation of knowledge of natural medicine through the silent, non-registered action of many women and men in Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Curazao and Barbados. Ecological awareness does not appear gender-related, rather as part of the learning process. In order to justly evaluate this factor one must bear in mind that learning processes in rural environments which are basically illiterate, are verbally handed down from one generation to the next; a process which takes thousands of years. In this manner, "advanced" agricultural practices have been learned, such as seed preservation for fruits and medicinal plants within rural families living basically set apart from main villages sharing a common feature: illiterate parents (Lanz-Valdivia, 1990.) In this regard, studying and learning the methods and ecological practices of rural societies is considered of utmost importance by urban settlements, particularly regarding those of very distant rural villages, the most "developed ones." Today, they constitute the last reservation of ancestral knowledge that aided American man's survival without major environmental mishaps for the last 5,000 years in this part of the globe.
Likewise, one must remember that environment preservation is not only a matter of conscience, it could also be related to poor living conditions, and in previous chapters we analyzed that this situation prevails in this Region. This aspect explains how in Haiti and El Salvador natural vegetation has been destroyed in some areas in order to fulfill man's needs for fuel production for his survival. It also explains how many areas in Venezuela and Colombia, hills and slopes, have been deforested to provide the poor with an access to land. In both eaves, this phenomenon equally affects women and men.
Economic modernization processes in agriculture have seriously damaged both the environment and some social organizations articulated by specific production strategies. A ease study conducted in the Maranbao Region, Brazil (INSTRAW, 1993) pathetically reflects this situation. In this area, the exploitation of the "babacu", a small coconut palm which is the main raw material used in the combustible oil and soap production, had guaranteed, for years, the survival of many families. The harvest, breaking and processing of the "babacu" was always assigned to women, while men conducted agricultural activities. In the 80's, land owners closed in on the babacuais and destroyed them to cultivate grass. From that moment on, families who were dedicated to the harvesting of the "babacu" were persecuted. Violence provoked and lead to the killing of women, despite the fact that in the Maranhao state there are laws protecting the "babacu"
There is another problem related to the agriculture economic modernization: pesticides. Pesticides are chemical substances used to control insects, acarus, snails, slugs, illnesses and grass/herbs. Their nocuous effects are well known in the environment and human health16.
16 According to the WHO, 5,000 people die yearly as a result of pesticides and another 500,000 people are intoxicated annually (Weir and Shapiro: "The circle of poison", Valdes, 1992.)
Valdés analyzes the situation of female fruit workers in Chile. The study illustrates the effects caused by pesticides, commonly used resulting from agriculture modernization and whose use has increased over recent years. Between 1976 and 1986, pesticide imparts increased from $4 million to $38 million. Even though the use of these substances has spread in agriculture, the problems they pose are not limited to the area where they are used. As a matter of fact, their use is closely related to a process commonly known as "agriculture modernization", whose introduction and development is different in each country. However, generally speaking this process began in the late 40's and today has deep roots in production systems of hundreds of thousand of hectares devoted to the production of cereals, legumes, radices and tuberous plants, vegetables, cane, coffee, grass, flowers and fruits throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. These areas constitute "business" areas originating the flow of millions of dollars a year.
Exposure to agrochemical is related to congenital malformations. A study conducted in Rancagua, an area dedicated to grape growing in Chile (Mella, "Congenital malformations prevalence", 1990, Valdés, 1992), states that in this region congenital malformations have notoriously increased. Compared to the rest of the country, the rate of multiple malformations is higher: 3.6/1,000 versus 1.93/1,000. The most frequent malformations are defects in the closing of the neural tube (anencephaly, myelomeningocele, hydrocephalus.) This study also states that exposure to pesticides for mothers/fathers has resulted in increased congenital malformations. The synthomatology related to the exposure to toxic substances used in agriculture is: vomiting, chronic migraines, stomach aches, dizziness, nausea and frequent fainting. This region consumes 60% of the total consumption of agrochemical substances used in the country, most of them known by their oncogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects which have been proven in other circumstances, for example, women working with flowers in Colombia Valdés, 1992).
As per the author, one of the most constant concerns of seasonal female workers is the use of pesticides. Even though women do not actually apply these products, they perform tasks where such substances have been dispersed. Also, when they work in packing plants, they have to handle fruit to which agro-chemical substances have been applied. In this regard, a case study conducted in central Chile, detected that, regarding labor risks, 33 of the 44 women studied indicated the action of these substances (Díaz, 1991).
The damage provoked by toxic substances used in agriculture and the awareness of seasonal female workers could constitute a major contribution factor to improve environmental conditions. Nevertheless, labor instability leads to a syndical anarchy which impedes joint actions. According to the author, the battle against environmental decline should not be limited to temporary workers, but should also include at the least the population living in the proximity of agroindustries and the consumers themselves.
Finally, Valdés, states that Chilean agriculture modernization implies, in addition to the use of pesticides, the indiscriminate extension of artificial forests which is decreasing agriculture and artisan production of rural families: "... increased use of chemicals in fruit-growing and forestry as well as monoculture expansion and the increase of food and raw material sources required for productive activities has deteriorated working conditions, thereby affecting the health of workers and reproduction aspects as well as worsened rural survival conditions" (op. cit., pg. 246).
The abundant and diverse natural resources in this region, coexist with serious environmental problems that depend on the country where they occur. In rural areas, these problems would be caused mainly by economic development strategies based on indiscriminate resource exploitation rather than by the rural population's actions Concerning the natural resources.
Economic modernization processes in agriculture and stockbreeding have seriously damaged the environment and human health. The use of monoculture together with the use of specialized machinery and pesticides is closely related to the impoverishment of the soil and water courses. , constituting an agricultural process that is not sustainable. Agroindustries in central Chile are a clear example of this situation: damages not only comprise workers directly related to productive tasks, mainly women, but also the population living near such areas.
It has constantly been said that rural women are a fundamental factor for environmental maintenance as they maintain the family and also have direct contact with natural resources. This statement is correct since rural women represent a haven of knowledge gathered over decades by means of a teach-learn process passed down from one generation to the next. It is clear that part of their knowledge has been lost due to the exodus of rural population to urban cities, but it is still possible to recover by means of research programs, information that is an important part of this ancestral understanding linked to an appropriate approach of human-environment relationship. In this respect, rural women would unquestionably play a primary role.
