Photograph from the “En sus zapatos” (In their shoes) collection, taken from Kurtural's website. Photograph used with permission. In Paraguay, thousands of farmers have been marching in the streets of Asunción since early July. As small producers, they decry the failure of the government to meet an agreement signed in April 2016, which promised the refinancing of agricultural debts of approximately 18,000 producers. A year later, labourers have returned to the streets claiming the agreement has failed. In Paraguay, approximately 2.6 million people currently live in rural zones, accounting for over 30% of the total population. Residents struggle against rising levels of land concentration in the countryside as one of their biggest problems. Agricultural businesses use 94% of arable land which produces food for exportation, while family farmers only use 6% for family farming, according to Oxfam's report Yvy Jára: Los dueños de la Tierra en Paraguay (“Yvy Jára: The owners of the Land in Paraguay”). The government's inadequate agricultural policies and a lack of information created by businesses linked to land concentration groups aggravate the situation: The farmers have captured Paraguay's attention and solidarity is pouring in: Universitarios de distintas facultades se reúnen en plenaria en la explanada de la UCA para discutir y solidarizarse con la #MarchaCampesina pic.twitter.com/OqaT4CfaMO — RTV (@rtvparaguay) August 7, 2017 Students from different faculties are gathering in front of the Catholic University of Asunción to talk and show solidarity with the #FarmersMarch - RTV (@rtvparaguay) August 7, 2017 But some government members have referred to demonstrators as ‘cavemen‘ and the police have repressed the demonstrations: #Urgente Policia Cartistas se preparan para reprimir. pic.twitter.com/l4tK0f8Afo — Coord.Intesectorial (@CoordinadoraCNI) August 8, 2017 #Urgent The police are getting ready to suppress: pic.twitter.com/l4tK0f8Afo — Coord.Intesectorial (@CoordinadoraCNI) August 8, 2017 It is not the first time farmers have organized marches to fight for farmers’ rights. This year's marches are the result of an unfulfilled 2016 agreement signed by the government which aimed to solve labourers’ debts allegedly incurred from a series of state scams. The farmers complained that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock distributed damaged seeds, promised technical assistance never arrived, and when selling their harvest, market prices were higher than expected. This made it impossible for many farmers to pay off their public and private debts. In 2016, after nearly a month of demonstrations, President Horacio Cartes’ government reached an agreement with the farmers consisting of panel discussions to hear farmers’ complaints and the creation of new laws to support rural farming. During these talks, the government promised firm support of the farming sector. Farmers now complain that the agreement has not been honoured and small producers from other sectors are in similar situations, strained by a lack of public policy, growing inequality in the countryside, and the absence of markets and government assistance in times of flood and frost. In Paraguay, the state must promote rural farming as detailed in the national constitution. It expresses the need for agricultural reform consisting of ‘the effective incorporation of the farming population into the economic and social development of the nation.’ Moreover, it promises to commit to taking measures that ‘stimulate production, discourage land concentration and guarantee the development of small and medium-sized rural properties.’ Many farmers face losing their land and livelihoods to pay off their debts if they don't find a solution to this crisis soon, and fear they will become part of a growing poverty epidemic in Paraguay. But farmers face more than just problems of debts and subsidies. One farmer's statement shared by the group Ápe Paraguay on Facebook reveals many of the limitations of working on the land in Paraguay: Pasa que lo nacional no les interesa tanto, traen todo del exterior. Por ejemplo estos proveedores, que son millonarios, traen locote y tomate del exterior. Ellos declaran unos pocos, y meten como 20 mil kilos semanalmente. […] Yo traigo por ejemplo 3 mil kilos y no puedo meter en el mercado. Así ellos nos joden porque meten del exterior y nuestra producción nacional no vale. Eso es lo que un gobierno debe ver para ayudarnos. En nuestro país, la plata es lo que vale, por eso el contrabando no se detiene.