The Global Perspective: Reflections on Imperialism and Resistance by Lauesen Torkil

Author:Lauesen, Torkil [Lauesen, Torkil]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kersplebedeb Publishing
Published: 2018-06-16T16:00:00+00:00

Peasants in the Global South

The extent to which the industrialization and proletarianization of the Global South has entailed the disappearance of the peasantry should not be exaggerated. Even if the number of peasants is declining, agriculture remains the main source of income for the world’s rural population. In 2005, 46 percent of the world’s people were still living in rural areas. In Asian countries such as India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan, the percentage is even higher. Agricultural production also remains an important part of the imperialist system. Coffee, tea, sugar, cacao, soy beans, meats, fruits, and vegetables are produced by peasants in the South for consumers in the North. Land ownership is a big political issue.

It is difficult to make general statements about the living conditions of peasants in the Global South, as they are very different in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. In some places, we still find bondage and semi-feudal forms of production. In others, subsistence farming dominates, with surplus produce sold on local and regional markets for extra income. Many farmers also supplement their income by additional labor, mainly in the informal sector.

Many peasants pay leases and are often dependent on loans for cash. This is one of the principal mechanisms through which they are exploited. Traders grant peasants loans with high interest rates at the beginning of the farming season on condition that they will sell them their produce well below the market price. This practice means that farmers are indebted year after year. They are also dependent on traders linked to the capitalist market who supply seeds, fertilizer, and water for irrigation. A new rural proletariat has emerged, since an increasing number of industrialized farms employ peasants as laborers, but work is only available a few months every year, during the planting and harvesting seasons. Rural proletarians are forced to move constantly to find jobs, and often must contend with hostile social and cultural conditions—the caste system in India, for example.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.