After working for three years as a Mundukide cooperant in Brazil, Andrea Antón, from Villabona, Basque Country, shares in this interview the experiences she lived through and the lessons she learned during her time in the country.
You worked as a Mundukide cooperant in Brazil for three years. What would you highlight about your experience there?
It has been a wonderful experience, and I have learned so many things. Above all, I would highlight the importance of collective work. I worked alongside members of the MST (Landless Rural Workers’ Movement), and collective work is a very important part of what they do. They organise their work collectively, with care for people and culture at the heart of everything they do. They also use intercooperation as a working tool. Above all, I would highlight what they have taught me.
This was your first time in Brazil. What made you decide to take the step and go there?
Yes, I had never been to Brazil, nor to any other country in the Americas. In my case, I had been working in the field of international cooperation for several years, mainly managing projects. I had managed many projects and wanted to see how those projects, planned and organised from an office, were actually implemented in the countries where we work. I was interested in following the entire process of the projects. That was what particularly motivated me.
I started looking for different opportunities, and Mundukide offered me the possibility of going to Brazil. They explained the projects and programme they were developing there, and also told me that they were working together with the MST. It seemed like a great opportunity, and I decided to go for it.
What surprised you most about the reality you encountered there?
As I said, it was my first time in Brazil and, in my case, I got to know two different realities: on the one hand, Brazilian culture and language and, on the other, the context of the MST and its way of working.
From a cultural perspective, I really enjoyed the music, the language and the way people relate to one another. But above all, I was struck by the reality of the MST and its way of organising and working.
MST stands for the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement, a social movement founded in 1984 that fights for agrarian reform and social justice in Brazil. Its goal is to achieve a fair and democratic distribution of land among Brazilian farmers and to produce healthy food for the local population.
To achieve this, they promote organic, toxin-free production. In order to put this agricultural model into practice, they occupy large areas of unused land or land that has suffered environmental crimes, and establish camps. When Brazil’s public institution responsible for agrarian reform, INCRA, determines that a piece of land is not being productively used, settlements are created so that people can begin working the land.
Once they settle in a territory, they first begin developing education and healthcare services. In terms of agriculture, they start working the land and implementing their production model. Once food is being produced, the next step is to create cooperatives, and this is where Mundukide comes in.
Drawing on the Mondragón Cooperative Experience, Mundukide’s aim is to support people living in MST settlements and camps in the process of creating cooperatives, managing production and developing industries. Ultimately, the goal is to contribute to their wellbeing and development and to help them achieve a dignified quality of life.
We also work together on training, support and technical advice to strengthen their management skills. Today, Mundukide is part of the MST’s productive-sector coordination bodies and, at its latest National Congress, its general coordinator introduced us as a strategic partner.
So, to return to the question, getting to know all of this and working alongside them directly has been incredible. I have had the opportunity to discover a new way of understanding life in society.
What has been the biggest challenge for you, both personally and professionally?
Professionally, I adapted very easily. It is true that I have spent less time than my colleagues working directly in the field; I mainly worked from the office. The biggest challenge was being away from my family and friends.
Today’s society is often described as increasingly individualistic. In this context, how important is the work of cooperants? What do you contribute to society?
It puts another way of working on the table. In the face of individualism, promoting collaboration between two countries and between different communities, as well as sharing knowledge, makes a major contribution to society. It also means promoting the autonomy and empowerment of communities.
That is why I believe these kinds of projects make an important contribution to society, above all because they encourage cooperation.
In Mundukide’s case, we offer small-scale farmers in Brazil the opportunity to have access to decent work. We work with farmers who firmly believe that, by working together and creating cooperatives, small-scale farmers have greater strength to create employment and greater bargaining power when selling the raw materials they produce, especially when negotiating with large companies that promote agribusiness.
The main objective is to integrate the entire value chain, from the field to the point of sale, with agroecology as the guiding principle.
For example, if a small farmer sells their rice or milk to a large company, they will probably be offered a very small amount of money. But if five farmers join together and create their own cooperative, they will have greater production capacity and, therefore, greater bargaining power.
What would you say to someone who is interested in becoming a Mundukide cooperant?
I would tell them that it is a great opportunity. If you want to go abroad, are interested in discovering other realities and believe in cooperativism, it is an exceptional opportunity to discover other ways of life and other realities.
Working directly with the MST is a real privilege. It allows you to discover a different model of social organisation and, at the same time, to grow as a person.
Original interview: Aiurri aldizkaria