Prophets of Agroforestry

Guaraní Communities and Commercial Gathering

Bibliographic Data

ID19924469
AuthorsRichard K Reed (corresponding author)
Year1995
Publication date1995-12-31
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueProphets of Agroforestry (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherUniversity of Texas Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.7560/770676
OpenAlexW4229717851
Open LibraryOL34913152M
ISBN9780292761735
LanguageEN
Citations received13

For almost four centuries, the indigenous Chiripá (Guaraní) people of eastern Paraguay have maintained themselves as a distinct society and culture, despite continual and often intense relations with Paraguayan society and the international economy. In this study, Richard K. Reed explores the economic and social basis for this ethnic autonomy. Reed finds that Chiripá economic power derives from their practice of commercial agroforestry. Unlike Latin American indigenous societies that have been forced to clear land for commercial agriculture, the Chiripá continue to harvest and sell forest products, such as caffeinated yerba mate, without destroying the forests. Reed also explores the relation of this complex economy to Chiripá social organization and shows how flexible kin ties allowed the Chiripá to adapt to the pressure and opportunities of the commercial economy without adopting the authoritarian nature of rural Paraguayan society. These findings offer important insights into the relations among indigenous groups, nation-states, and the international economy. They also provide a timely alternative model for sustainable management of subtropical forests that will be of interest in the fields of development and environmental studies

Agroforestry · Geography · African history and culture studies · Environmental Science · Forestry · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Agriculture · Economic conditions · Human ecology · Indians of South America · Indians of south america, agriculture · Indians of south america, economic conditions · Paraguay · Social conditions

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