Economic Anthropology Assignment 2

Gerardo Perfors-Barradas

Giventhestructureofthemoderneconomy,peasantorsmallscaleagriculture
cannotandshouldnotsurvive.

Thestatementinquestioncanbedividedinthreeparts.1)Thedeterminantfactor:the
structureofthemoderneconomyoverpeasant/smallscaleagriculture2)theabilityof
thelattertosurviveand3)thenormativedesirabilityofitssurvival.Wewillfirstanalyze
theargumentssupportingthestatementasdescribedbyPaulCollierinhis2008article
ThePoliticsofHunger,secondly,wewillcontrasttheseargumentswithofficial
FAO/UNEPpositionsonsmallholdersandfamilyfarmers,andlastly,wewillconsider
themeritsofbothsidesoftheargument.
Pro:
Collier,aneconomist,worriesthatsupplyanddemandissuesriskleadingtopersistent
highfoodprices,threateningconsequencesthatwouldbeforsomeconsumersinthe
worldspoorestcountriesgrimbothethicallyandpolitically.Thepeoplemostat
risk:somepoorfarmerswhencropsfail,butmainly,theurbanpoorwillbehithardest,
leadingtoriotsandpopulistpolitics.InColliersopinion,thereisnothingtobedone
abouttherootcauseofthecrisistheincreasingdemandforfood.
Hissolution:morecommercialagriculture.Themodel:Brazilshighproductivitylarge
farmsinareaswherelandisunderused.

Source:SMALLHOLDERSANDFAMILYFARMERS,FAO,2012.

Economic Anthropology Assignment 2

Gerardo Perfors-Barradas
Oneofthethreeobstaclesforincreasingthistypeofagriculturewouldbe,accordingto
him,themiddleandupperclassloveaffairwithpeasantagriculture.
ContrarytoWesternfantasies,peasantlifewouldbetedious,anditforcesmillionsof
ordinarypeopleintotheroleofentrepreneur,aroleforwhichmostareillsuited.In
successfuleconomies,entrepreneurshipisaminoritypursuit;mostpeopleoptforwage
employmentsothatotherscanhavetheworryandgrindofrunningabusiness
Giventhechance,peasantsseeklocalwagejobs,andtheiroffspringheadtothecities.
Largeorganizations,incontrast,arebettersuitedtocopewithinvestment,marketing
chains,andregulation.Theywouldalsobemuchbetteratinnovation.
Hisconclusion:shatteringafewromanticillusionsisasmallpricetopay.

Against:
Collier,startingfromasocialproblem(unaffordablefoodforpoorpeople),proposesa
seriesofeconomic,technicalsolutionsbasedonashiftfromsmallscalefarmingtolarge
commercialoperationsresultinginmoreproduction.Therestisbrushedawayas

Economic Anthropology Assignment 2

Gerardo Perfors-Barradas
romanticism.However,otherobserverscontesttheargumentofthelimitedproductivity
ofsmallholdings,whilehighlightingsomeveryimportantbenefitsandwarningofthe
socialconsequencesofthelifestylechangeproposedbyCollier.
TheFAO,inits2012brochureSmallholdersandFamilyFarmers,statesthatunlike
widespreadperceptions,sustainablesmallholderscanbereallyproductivewhen
sustainableagriculturewasadopted,averagecropyieldsincreasedby79%.Thiswould
bemuchhigherthanthe1020%improvementcitedbyCollierasaresultofenclosure.
Therewouldalsobeotherimportantbenefitsconcerningimprovednutritionandless
pesticiderelatedhazardsbecauseoforganicagriculture,andtheclimatechange
mitigationelementattributedtoreducedfossilfuelsdependencyandenergy
requirementsofsmallholdertraditionalpractices.
AnotherreportfromtheInternationalFundforAgriculturalDevelopment(IFAD)andthe
UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP),concludesthatwiththeright
conditions,smallholderscanbeattheforefrontofatransformationinworldagriculture.
Withtheirimmensecollectiveexperienceandintimateknowledgeoflocalconditions,
smallholdersholdmanyofthepracticalsolutionsthatcanhelpplaceagricultureona
moresustainableandequitablefooting.Todothis,theyneedhelptoovercomemarket
failuresandotherdisincentivesforsustainablelanduse,includinginsecurelandtenure,
hightransactioncostsandweakinstitutionalsupport.Amajorchallengewillbeto
addressthediscrepanciesofscalebetweendecisionsmadeatthefarmlevelandimpacts
atlargerecosystemscales.
Finally,thesocialeffectsrelatedtoashiftinagriculturalscalemaybemoreseriousthan
whatCollierargues.InanarticleentitledOxfam:Africacanproducethefooditneeds
(Euractiv,2013),theOaklandInstitute,athinktankinCalifornia,estimatesthat
AfricanlandequaltothesizeofFrancehasbeenleasedorsoldtoforeigngovernments
orinvestorssince2008forcommodityandbiofuelexports.Itwarnsthatdisplacement
andaffectedlivelihoodsarebecomingserioussourcesofinternationalconcern.
Conclusion
Thestatementthereforeposesseriousproblems.Firstly,lettingthestructureofthe
moderneconomysolelydeterminedecisionsconcerningsocialwellbeingsmacksof
marketfundamentalism.Whileinsomecaseslargescaleagriculturemighthelpincrease
production,itisbynomeansproventhatsmallscaleagricultureissignificantlyless
efficientperse.Furthermore,itmaybepositivelylinkedtonutrition,workershealthand
climatechangemitigation,anditsimportanceinsocialfunctioningisnotasmallprice
topayorromanticism.TheMarxianconceptofprimitiveaccumulationisofrelevance
inthisrespect.