Agriculture - Proutist Economic Development


This presentation covers a few of the essential ideas of the Proutist approach to agriculture. PR Sarkar has also written extensively on the subject of integrated tropical farming. 

In a Proutist economy, tremendous emphasis is placed on the agricultural sector. This sector is the key to economic development because agricultural industries generate the impetus for part of the manufacturing sector. 

Prout encourages all agriculture and associated industries to be organised using the cooperative system. Prout opposes the system of "agricultural collectives" that were implemented under communism. The collective system did not work because:

1) The farms were much too big for efficient planning
2) There was no private ownership or shareholding so that farmers did not feel the benefits of their hard work. 

Agricultural land should be owned by the people who are farming it. In the Proutist system, farming would be organised as an industry, with an industrial approach to labour management, resource management, financial management etc. Thus the land holdings should be large enough to sustain a viable business. Subsistence farming should never be encouraged because it locks people into a life of hard physical labour and poverty. Sarkar observes that farming "cooperatives evolve out of the collective labour and wisdom of a community". When farming is organised rationally, it becomes a viable, even attractive life-style. So there is a possibility to reverse the migration from rural areas to the cities.

Sarkar places emphasis on the notion of an "economic holding". No farm should be smaller than an economic holding. The size of an economic holding will vary from place to place. Prout would adopt sustainable agricultural techniques. This can mean adopting traditional techniques, because these have evolved over a long period of time and have proven themselves to be sustainable. Prout would adopt traditional farming techniques where appropriate, but it would also mechanise agriculture progressively in order to reduce back-breaking labour. Agriculture should become an attractive way of earning a living and offer of high quality of life. 

There must be maximum research into agriculture in order to avoid unsustainable and environmentally destructive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Prout would closely integrate the different agricultural industries within a community. Agrico-industries supply inputs to agriculture, such as fertilizers, tractors, ploughs, etc.  Agro-industries process farm output into consumer goods. There would be no scope for intermediaries or landlords who cream off profits without contributing to productivity. The agricultural sector must supply jobs for local people. Thus producer cooperatives would supply directly to consumer cooperatives.

The recent experience in Cuba is an exciting example of what can be achieved when a nation puts its mind to developing sustainable farming technology.

There are three components to the new urban agricultural system in Cuba - urban farms known as organoponicos, garden clubs, and seed banks. Apart from organic farming, Cuba has also adopted the practice of "permaculture" which was first developed in Australia. Australian permaculture experts, participating in the Green Team project, have helped to promote this farming technology in Cuba.

The major strategic feature of the new Cuban agriculture is urban agriculture - that is the production of food within major centres of population. They have had to return to traditional techniques such as intercropping. Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops together that protect each other from pests, etc. Thus Cuba is not reliant on imported chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Market stalls in the market gardens sell produce directly to the public. Within the space of ten years, the farmers were producing a surplus and farmers were making a good profit. Unfortunately, the Cuban government adopted the policy of suppressing the markets for fear that the farmers would become a wealthy bourgeoisie. Nevertheless we can learn from the positive features of the Cuban agricultural experience without having to copy the negative.

The Japanese have another approach to integrate agriculture with urban populations. This approach has been copied in the USA and Europe where it is known as community supported agriculture (CSA).

What about Venezuela? The agricultural sector accounts for only 5% of Venezuela's GDP and the country imports 50% of its cereal requirements. There is a need for rapid expansion and diversification of Venezuelan agriculture. In tropical countries, water management is critical to preserve soil and land stability. In addition, some consideration should be given to maintaining large natural reserves of forest. The question of land reform is as important in Venezuela as it is in many other parts of the world. 

There are two important issues in redistributing agricultural land to peasant farmers. 
- First, are the land parcels large enough to be economically sustainable? 
- Second, do the peasant farmers have a supportive community and local infrastructure to enable effective agriculture? 

In short, can peasants do anything productive with the land they get? In Brazil, land redistribution is accompanied by investment in community infrastructure. As Sarkar notes, the critical feature in land reform is effective production and not just ownership. He has devised a four stage plan that would enable peasant farmers to work their lands cooperatively and thus enjoy economies of scale while still retaining title to their land.

The four phase process is envisaged as:

1st phase - All uneconomic land holdings should be taken over by and vested in cooperative management for the benefit of those who own the land.

2nd phase - In turn, all landowners should be requested to join the cooperative system. 

3rd phase - Rational distribution of land and re-determination of ownership. This will address questions such as excessive concentration of wealth after having instilled in people's minds the purpose and practice of cooperatives.

4th phase - Conflict over land ownership should disappear. After land has been vested in cooperatives and ownership of shares determined conflicts amongst landowners and landless rural workers will no longer exist. This will include a proper policy of distributions of dividends to shareholders and wages to workers.  Of course, shareholders can also be and are the workers.