Zlolniski explores the environmental and political effects of the fresh produce export market in San Quintín Valley in Baja, CA in Mexico. Intensive export agriculture is generally encouraged by neoliberal economists as a way to increase economic growth and employment and is supported by governments trying to integrate into the global market. There have been benefits of these programs; in this part of Mexico it has given indigenous farmers employment and the ability to settle down.
However, it has also lead to the overexploitation of water in an arid region. Produce agriculture is very water intensive; that plus the huge growth in population from migrant farmers has placed a huge strain on the water bed. Efforts to counteract shortages have not been successful; desalination for example leads to more intensive water extraction and exacerbates inequality as smaller growers are not able to pay for the expensive process and must drop out of the market. Further, Zlolniski notes the unequal access of water; farms get subsidies to help manage and clean water while citizens must rely on the private sector or deal with shortages and poor quality- despite the fact that most of the population in the area is there to work the farms.
As Zlolniski shows the neoliberalization of agriculture in this region has caused more problems than it has solved, oppressing the very people who are needed to work on farms and grow the economy. This is inherent in the system-these produce farms would not be so profitable if workers were compensated fairly and all costs were accounted for. It is clear that neoliberal ideas of agriculture are not sustainable in terms of either inequality or environmental issues.
- Zlolniski, Christian. “Water Flowing North of the Border: Export Agriculture and Water Politics in a Rural Community in Baja California.” Cultural Anthropology 26.4 (2011): 565-588.