Controversies and the Production of the Transnational: The Cases of the National Confederation of Agricultural Workers (Contag) and the Small Farmers Movement (MPA).

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the transnational action of nationally-based organizations through controversies – that is, the disputes in which these groups engage. It discusses how controversies evolve over time, as well as the existence of simultaneous disputes. This article presents a definition of transnationalization that emphasizes the effort of national groups to become part of disputes around discursive frameworks and transnational political practices. Stable transnational ties are built when these groups: a) formulate their own political platform and provide content for transnational debates; and b) contribute to the creation or continuity of transnational organizations and networks. This occurs when they provide specific ways of holding elements together that allow them to build new connections and to produce effects on the networks. Conclusions are based on the analysis of the transnational action of two Brazilian rural organizations: the National Confederation of Agricultural Workers (Contag) and the Small Farmers Movement (MPA).

transnationalization; peasantry; family farming; food sovereignty; controversies