Rural Social Movements in Latin America: Organizing for Sustainable Livelihoods

Deere and Royce (agricultural and biological engineering, and Center for Latin American Studies, U. of Florida) compile 17 chapters on rural social movements organized in Latin America for issues such as food sovereignty, agrarian reform, indigenous and women's rights, sustainable development, opposition to dam construction and mining, and immigration in countries like Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Brazil. Social movement leaders from Latin American countries, who provide important first-hand accounts, join researchers from North and South America in fields such as Latin American studies, economics, and anthropology. They describe the role of international organizations like the Latin American Coordinator of Rural Organizations and La Via Campesina, and regional and national movements, in opposition to neoliberal globalization. They discuss differences between social movements, and the impact of fair trade, international migration, and the internet revolution on the strengthening of movements. The book originated in a conference on the alternative visions of development of the Latin American social movements, held at the U. of Florida in February 2006. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)