Economic mobility strategies among Guatemalan peasants: Prospects and limits of nontraditional vegetable cash crops

A study of upward economic mobility was conducted in a Maya township of western Guatemala using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Strategies used by poor families to better their economic situations are described and analyzed. The production of nontraditional vegetable crops is discussed in the context of the likelihood of economic differentiation and classes developing within and between townships. A trend toward the development of unequal relations between towns raises questions about the prospects for the production of nontraditionals as a development strategy.