Upland-lowland production linkages and land degradation in Bolivia

In the 1980"s, a combination of these factors had a devastating effect on the upland agricultural economy. A 1983 drought caused thousands of families to leave their homes permanently and forced thousands more to either migrate seasonally or increase the amount of time they spend away from home in search of employment. In 1985, a collapse in the international tin market caused mass unemployment and accelerated the rate of migration out of the upland valleys. Most of these migrants moved to Chapare, where they could find wage labor in coca leaf production. This paper explains the crisis of upland agriculture in the context of the country"s dependence on producing for the world market. It then describes the patterns of migration to and settlement in the Chapare and summarizes the organization of lowland agricultural production. A major finding is that the growing reliance on coca leaf production is a reflection not so much of the opportunities in the coca sector, but rather of the lack of opportunity in food crop production. The report states that coca production has not improved the farmers" overall standard of living.