https://youtu.be/S-mKxS5qSe8
“When it comes to agricultural development cooperation, cultural inclusion is very important,” said Gustavo Grobocopatel, an agricultural engineer—founder and former president of Grupo Los Grobo, a key player in various South-South cooperation initiatives with several African countries aimed at agricultural development—during the conference “Experiences in South-South Cooperation with Africa.”
The event took place online on Monday, September 5. It was organized by the Department of International Studies at the School of Management and Social Sciences of Universidad ORT Uruguay. It was part of the International Studies lecture series.
Rural development strategies
Grobocopatel explained that, 15 years ago, Los Grobo began receiving inquiries from governments in various countries regarding issues related to rural development.
“Everyone had doubts about how to develop rural development strategies. Strategies of this kind have generally always failed. It’s not that there’s a lack of money; rather, it’s often mismanaged, there’s no systemic approach to the problem, and there’s a lack of understanding of the impact of cultural factors. It’s like putting gas in a car that doesn’t have an engine.”
“Often, these projects don’t address how the majority population will be included. When it comes to agricultural development cooperation, cultural inclusion is very important.”
The expert shared his experiences in Africa. “I worked in an area where the tribes own the land. I held a series of meetings with the chiefs of those tribes to discuss how the passage of trucks loaded with soybeans, corn, supplies, or fertilizers would affect their daily lives.”
He also explained that in Africa, agreements “are not based on a civil code as we know it in Roman law”; they are not written contracts, but rather verbal agreements, which means they must be constantly renegotiated.
Speaking about this region, he added: “While we’ve seen a boom in China so far, the boom of the coming decades will be in Africa.”
Cultural integration
“Cultural integration comes before everything else,” Grobocopatel noted. When developing rural development strategies, he pointed out that it is essential to study the history, customs, and language of the area where those strategies will be implemented.
Finally, he concluded: “In general, governments try to export machinery or seeds. If they export machinery without taking a systemic view of the problem, no one will buy it. It’s not just about selling a planter; it’s about considering the entire ecosystem, gaining a systemic understanding, and creating genuine demand for the products and services.”