Publication Date: 28 December 2023

Author: Josephine Therese Emily Teves

For further details on the article, visit the journal at

https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/husocjournal/article/view/254318

Abstract

This study examines how development agencies from the Japanese and Philippine governments support farm-to-market infrastructure projects funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA). These projects aim to reduce poverty, reform agro-systems, and achieve development goals. The study investigates the motivations, roles, relationships, processes, and management of these farm-to-market projects, and analyzes how they address the problems faced by those affected by agro-reform. Framed within Tania Murray Lee's concept of 'development aspiration,' the analysis of project positioning and management processes within the context of neoliberal governmentality reveals areas where the projects have failed to significantly improve overall lives. Data collected from government agencies, online questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups examines the motivations, discourses, thought processes, and techniques employed by both Japanese and Philippine governments. The study concludes that these projects exhibit a dual nature: at a superficial level, they stimulate economic growth, mutual understanding, and reciprocity. However, a deeper analysis reveals that market-oriented practices allow players outside the poor to exploit the situation inappropriately.