Social capital and collective action in the oil palm cultivation in the coast of Chiapas. Study of OleopalMex.

Abstract

The expansion of oil palm cultivation in Mexico has generated a set of processes such as the reduced participation of small farmers who are subject to the conditions established by the extracting companies, the land accumulation on the part of large companies, the appropriation of most of the surpluses by international companies, and the negative environmental effects. The objective of this study is to analyze the processes of social capital generation and collective action undertaken by the producers from the coast of Chiapas to build the social company Oleopalmex, in order to meet the requirements imposed by the extractive companies within the region. It is found that the company members of Oleopalmex have developed various levels of social capital and collective action, but that the companies with lower levels turn to those with higher levels to solve their production and management problems.  This paper demonstrates that palm producers, based on the use of social capital and collective action, have been able to build a social company that allows them to partially reverse the sanctions imposed by the oil extracting companies and enables them to participate in a greater part of the value generated in the palm system.