Milking in the global economy. Mexican women dairy farmers' experiences of trade liberalisation and the sexual division of labour

Abstract

This ethnographic study investigates female labour in family dairy farms in western Mexico. The central goal is to describe the work experiences of women dairy farmers within a context of expanding economic globalisation. Through this investigation, I pursue empirical evidence regarding women's contributions to food production and the sexual division of labour in agriculture. The term 'woman dairy farmer' is defined here as a woman working on a dairy farm, whether she works in a waged or unwaged labour organisation.

The study attempts to answer the question: how do women dairy farmers in Mexico experience global capitalism and the sexual division of labour? It does this by looking at their understanding of global food-production guidelines, the organisation of work within households and the social and economic contribution of female labour in the context of the milk industry.

Dairy farming families in Los Altos de Jalisco (Jalisco Highlands), in west-central Mexico, have a significant role in the agricultural production that leads the region to hold a pre-eminent position in the production of milk in Mexico. Trade liberalisation policies during the 1980s introduced farming families to international market challenges that required socio-cultural adjustments throughout the production chain. Nowadays, they face market instability evidenced by frequent changes in the price of milk and cereals, as well as quality and safety standards requirements resulting in economic and social challenges for families. For women, a lack of time and access to resources persist due to strict gender norms that place housework and caring responsibilities in the female realm.

This work is the result of one year of fieldwork in six of the 20 municipalities of Los Altos de Jalisco (Jalisco Highlands). In this region, the family farm type of organisation dominates cow-milk production, as each household usually controls its dairy, labour, land, water and capital.

The ethnographic study consisted of in-depth interviews with 71 adult participants: 54 women of family dairy farms, seven women working for a wage on others' dairy farms, five male dairy farmers, two intermediaries, and three cattle association representatives. The interviews resulted in information regarding 32 dairy farms ranging from small to semi-specialised, and I made participant observation in 26 of them. I conducted three focus groups, two with women dairy farmers whom I had interviewed during fieldwork and one with new female participants. Show more