Last week, trade unions and grassroots farming cooperatives across the Dominican Republic marched to the Presidential Palace in Santo Domingo to protest a proposed merger of the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD) with the Ministry of Agriculture. The demonstration reflects concerns among rural workers and agricultural groups about the potential impacts of the institutional restructuring.
Crusito Toribio, General Secretary of the Dominican Banana and Agricultural Workers Union (SIUTRAPBAA), voiced opposition to the plan, citing fears that the merger could significantly affect rural livelihoods.
© SIUTRAPBAA
The IAD was established in the 1960s following the country's Agrarian Reform, which aimed to address land inequality, improve living conditions for small farmers, reduce rural poverty, and support food security. At the time, the reform sought to redistribute land to subsistence farmers, as a majority of agricultural land was held by a small number of large landowners.
The protests followed the publication of an open letter from the Latin American branch of Via Campesina, which called for the preservation of the IAD's autonomy and a renewed focus on participatory agrarian reform. The letter emphasized the continued importance of land reform in ensuring equitable food systems and agricultural development.
Supporters of the merger, including government officials, argue that it will improve administrative efficiency and generate savings of approximately 25 billion Dominican Pesos. However, farmer representatives and advocacy groups have expressed concern that the restructuring may weaken support services for small and medium-scale producers, particularly in the banana sector. Additional concerns include possible land disputes due to gaps in historic land titling.
The Dominican banana industry, largely composed of smallholder farmers, is already contending with challenges such as labor shortages and the effects of climate change. Stakeholders fear that the proposed institutional changes could exacerbate existing vulnerabilities at a critical time for the sector.
Source: BananaLink
