coalitions, actor networks and state policy in the Jiquiriçá

Valley, Bahia 2 The paper discusses the influence of new coalitions and networks of actors on local politics and the governance of rural development processes in Northeast Brazil. Emerging results of an ongoing Latin American programme of research and policy advice on Rural Territorial Dynamics suggest that the presence of new configurations, coalitions and networks of social actors capable of stimulating institutional change are amongst the key factors which enable certain rural areas to achieve development outcomes which combine economic growth, poverty reduction and social inclusion. These emerging coalitions and partnerships can also influence the environmental sustainability of development trajectories. The discussion focuses on the findings of research in one specific area of Northeast Brazil, where social movements involving rural workers and farmers unions, linked to other actors, have achieved significant influence over municipal and broader politics. I