Family Farmers in Paraguay Facing Debt Crisis Demand Government Accountability

Family Farmers in Paraguay Facing Debt Crisis Demand Government Accountability

In Paraguay, thousands of farmers have been marching in the streets of Asunción since early July. As small producers, they decry the failure of the government to meet an agreement signed in April 2016, which promised the refinancing of agricultural debts of approximately 18,000 producers. A year later, labourers have returned to the streets claiming the agreement has failed. In Paraguay, approximately 2.6 million people currently live in rural zones, accounting for over 30% of the total population. Residents struggle against rising levels of land concentration in the countryside as one of their biggest problems. Agricultural businesses use 94% of arable land which produces food for exportation, while family farmers only use 6% for family farming, according to Oxfam's report Yvy Jára: Los dueños de la Tierra en Paraguay (“Yvy Jára: The owners of the Land in Paraguay”). The government's inadequate agricultural policies and a lack of information created by businesses linked to land concentration groups aggravate the situation: The farmers have captured Paraguay's attention and solidarity is pouring in.