ABSTRACT
NGOs have flourished in Central America for reasons similar to other regions: declining confidence in and capacity of public-sector agencies; emerging social movements that seek to institutionalize their efforts; growing concern within Catholic and Protestant churches for social issues; increasing donor and professional interest in participatory methodologies and appropriate technologies. This chapter provides an overview of NGOs’ involvement in agriculture in Central America and their relations with the state. It argues that major opportunities are emerging for coordination between NGOs and public agencies, both with regard to agricultural technology, and concerning broader social issues, which have been difficult to discuss constructively in these highly polarized societies. The chapter discusses the main technological and social changes in Central American agriculture in the 1970s and 1980s, and examines how the government agencies and the NGOs evolved in that context.
