Using National Official Statistics Perez analyze Nicaragua's rural sector structural blockade... more Using National Official Statistics Perez analyze Nicaragua's rural sector structural blockades and the State strategies to overcome poverty and extreme poverty in the Country. Based on demography, land tenure and food markets governance, He identifies that key factors for changing Nicaragua's poverty levels are missing in National Policies and there is a tendency to increase inequality in rural areas with no urban capacity for absorb rural migrants. Perez proposal is to focus public investment in Agriculture which is sector with higher labor occupation and a key source of exports and GDP.
The paper aims for enabling growth and promoting equity in the global financial crisis risk and v... more The paper aims for enabling growth and promoting equity in the global financial crisis risk and vulnerability. It shows the internal factors, rules of engagement and the global financial crisis impacts.
This case study evaluates the outcomes of rural community-based tourism in Nicaragua (five commun... more This case study evaluates the outcomes of rural community-based tourism in Nicaragua (five communities) and Guatemala (four communities), as an alternative to more mainstream tourist development. Despite strong community organisations (cooperatives) and some tourism natural assets (caves and culture) – and, in the case of Nicaragua, reasonable infrastructure and access to markets – the financial sustainability of initiatives has been badly affected by an inability to link with the main distribution channels (tour operators and hoteliers). The initial investment costs are high and barriers to entry are significant. Notwithstanding poor tourist flows, these have brought some economic and other benefits to the destination areas.
In first semester of 2009, a wholesaler survey was run at key traditional markets in Nicaraguan p... more In first semester of 2009, a wholesaler survey was run at key traditional markets in Nicaraguan primary and secondary cities. This survey is part of several tasks to develop a better understanding of the reorganization of food value chains in Nicaragua. This specific task aims to explore wholesaler’s characteristics and their buying and selling dynamics at the key populated centers in Nicaragua. In terms of producers Characteristics, understanding trader’s dynamics demand to analyze traders by two basic types: those which are located on markets and those off markets. They differ in many aspects such as: location, products, self production, buyers and costs. In terms of horticulture markets dynamics, it can be stated that horticulture wholesaler market tends to be a concentrated business, four large off farm firms control 84 % of sales, and six on market business control 69 % of sales. Highly specialized traders in Niche products represent few cases (3.4 %), most of them sell only co...
In Nicaragua and elsewhere in Central America, small-scale farmers are weighing the risks of ente... more In Nicaragua and elsewhere in Central America, small-scale farmers are weighing the risks of entering into contracts with supermarket chains. We use unique data on negotiated prices from Nicaraguan farm cooperatives supplying supermarkets to study the impact of supply agreements on producers’ mean output prices and price stability. We find that prices paid by the domestic retail chain approximate the
ABSTRACT This article argues against ‘microfinance narcissism’ and calls for a re-politicization ... more ABSTRACT This article argues against ‘microfinance narcissism’ and calls for a re-politicization of the microfinance paradigm. The dominant verdict on microcredit has undergone a damning transformation, from ‘magic bullet for poverty reduction’ to ‘cause of suicide’. Nowadays, both radical critics and mainstream voices deplore microcredit's negative impact on micro-entrepreneurs. They argue for a reorientation where credit is targeted at established small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in rural areas. The crisis in microfinance worldwide, including burgeoning protests, are viewed as proof of the commercial derailment and/or misplaced faith in microfinance's positive social and economic impact on the poor. This article engages with this debate through a study of the Nicaraguan micro-finance crisis. It challenges existing analyses that pin the crisis on agricultural over-indebtedness, lack of due diligence, or Sandinista populist politics. Illustrating the dangers of neglecting the diverse nature of microfinance, it reveals the paradoxical outcomes of the crisis: a refocus on the urban at the expense of agricultural credit for small and medium enterprises and a consolidation of the power of national processing elites. Nicaragua's Non-Payment Movement is also shown to be both a product of elite manipulation and an expression of legitimate resistance to an industry that turns a blind eye to the manner in which markets and politics constrain clients’ potential.
Using National Official Statistics Perez analyze Nicaragua's rural sector structural blockade... more Using National Official Statistics Perez analyze Nicaragua's rural sector structural blockades and the State strategies to overcome poverty and extreme poverty in the Country. Based on demography, land tenure and food markets governance, He identifies that key factors for changing Nicaragua's poverty levels are missing in National Policies and there is a tendency to increase inequality in rural areas with no urban capacity for absorb rural migrants. Perez proposal is to focus public investment in Agriculture which is sector with higher labor occupation and a key source of exports and GDP.
The paper aims for enabling growth and promoting equity in the global financial crisis risk and v... more The paper aims for enabling growth and promoting equity in the global financial crisis risk and vulnerability. It shows the internal factors, rules of engagement and the global financial crisis impacts.
This case study evaluates the outcomes of rural community-based tourism in Nicaragua (five commun... more This case study evaluates the outcomes of rural community-based tourism in Nicaragua (five communities) and Guatemala (four communities), as an alternative to more mainstream tourist development. Despite strong community organisations (cooperatives) and some tourism natural assets (caves and culture) – and, in the case of Nicaragua, reasonable infrastructure and access to markets – the financial sustainability of initiatives has been badly affected by an inability to link with the main distribution channels (tour operators and hoteliers). The initial investment costs are high and barriers to entry are significant. Notwithstanding poor tourist flows, these have brought some economic and other benefits to the destination areas.
In first semester of 2009, a wholesaler survey was run at key traditional markets in Nicaraguan p... more In first semester of 2009, a wholesaler survey was run at key traditional markets in Nicaraguan primary and secondary cities. This survey is part of several tasks to develop a better understanding of the reorganization of food value chains in Nicaragua. This specific task aims to explore wholesaler’s characteristics and their buying and selling dynamics at the key populated centers in Nicaragua. In terms of producers Characteristics, understanding trader’s dynamics demand to analyze traders by two basic types: those which are located on markets and those off markets. They differ in many aspects such as: location, products, self production, buyers and costs. In terms of horticulture markets dynamics, it can be stated that horticulture wholesaler market tends to be a concentrated business, four large off farm firms control 84 % of sales, and six on market business control 69 % of sales. Highly specialized traders in Niche products represent few cases (3.4 %), most of them sell only co...
In Nicaragua and elsewhere in Central America, small-scale farmers are weighing the risks of ente... more In Nicaragua and elsewhere in Central America, small-scale farmers are weighing the risks of entering into contracts with supermarket chains. We use unique data on negotiated prices from Nicaraguan farm cooperatives supplying supermarkets to study the impact of supply agreements on producers’ mean output prices and price stability. We find that prices paid by the domestic retail chain approximate the
ABSTRACT This article argues against ‘microfinance narcissism’ and calls for a re-politicization ... more ABSTRACT This article argues against ‘microfinance narcissism’ and calls for a re-politicization of the microfinance paradigm. The dominant verdict on microcredit has undergone a damning transformation, from ‘magic bullet for poverty reduction’ to ‘cause of suicide’. Nowadays, both radical critics and mainstream voices deplore microcredit's negative impact on micro-entrepreneurs. They argue for a reorientation where credit is targeted at established small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in rural areas. The crisis in microfinance worldwide, including burgeoning protests, are viewed as proof of the commercial derailment and/or misplaced faith in microfinance's positive social and economic impact on the poor. This article engages with this debate through a study of the Nicaraguan micro-finance crisis. It challenges existing analyses that pin the crisis on agricultural over-indebtedness, lack of due diligence, or Sandinista populist politics. Illustrating the dangers of neglecting the diverse nature of microfinance, it reveals the paradoxical outcomes of the crisis: a refocus on the urban at the expense of agricultural credit for small and medium enterprises and a consolidation of the power of national processing elites. Nicaragua's Non-Payment Movement is also shown to be both a product of elite manipulation and an expression of legitimate resistance to an industry that turns a blind eye to the manner in which markets and politics constrain clients’ potential.
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