Agrarian movements in EU III
We have said, when we begin with this topic of "the Agrarian movements in the European Union (EU)", which we continue today, which we did to raise our position and demarcation with the official representatives and the monopoly of the press about the farmers' protest or demonstration (Bauerkampf), where they put everything in the form of a catch-all under that concept of farmers, this is the big ones monopolists and other capitalists of the imperialist countries of the EU, which exploit agriculture as a special field of capital investment and true farmers, to the agrarian proletariat and the peasants
Our main purpose, within the framework of These notes, which are not intended to be articles, nevertheless lead us to To differentiate, as Marx rightly established, the real farmers—the agricultural workers and small peasants (poor peasants), capitalist entrepreneurs who invest their capital in the exploitation of the agriculture.
Also, to differentiate between countries imperialist forces of the oppressed countries within the "EU". And, try to explain What is the response to the "reform" of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Model European Agricultural Association (MAE), the struggles and the situation of the different classes in the face of this "reform".
Changes in the European agricultural model (MAE) and common agrarian policy (PAC) -The problem of subsidies, markets and agricultural prices, etc.-, some points at the moment, according to the Official version:
- He MAE was classified as a frame that encompasses the Diversity of European agricultural regions, traditions and systems .
- Small -scale agriculture and change structural , towards a growing diversity of agricultural models, has important implications for governance, but it should also allow for a adaptation of agricultural systems according to their location in all areas European regions.
- El it It will be formed through strategies Adaptation adopted In each exploitation and along the chains of value To respond to specific challenges of each sector and external that are being raised.
The "reform" of the PAC " And the new mae is a process underway for restructure production agricultural to the value chains of the monopolies (vertical integration), such as They write it, to respond to the specific challenges of each sector and external. It is the agrarian policy of the EU imperialist powers, in collusion and struggle, that " It covers the three elements of sustainable development (Economic, ecological, social) , that "attenuates the effects of the Market mechanisms in it Structure adjustment l y la r resilience of food systems ”.
The so -called "reform" are actually political measures to specify in the current conditions the objectives stated in the previous paragraph, and? Pursues the greatest penetration of financial capital and monopolies by the one generated in the Agriculture of Eastern Europe (East and Southern Europe), not only belonging to the EU, but also to European countries outside the "union" such as Ukraine or other Third World countries, through "help" or New commercial treaties such as the EU-MERCOSUR, EU-India, etc. To condition Agriculture of oppressed countries to the needs of imperialism.
This process is not from now on. Process, that According to imperialist needs, it combines protectionism with “opening” of the markets ("liberalism"), prices and subsidies, which becomes more strength from The beginning of the 80s, it increases in the 90s and has great impulse in the 2000 and 2013 to “adapt” to the norms of the World Trade Organization (WTO or WTO) and to the new international conditions of the dispute Inter-imperialist. It is necessary, in relation to the above, to study better on the controls of origin, pesticides, biological agriculture and the so -called regional products, etc.
It is important to take into account relationships Between industry and agriculture in the development of capitalism, employment of machines in agriculture and their development as an internal market and exterior for industry.
On this process, the representatives of the reactionary matches and media commentators, they say it has broken The political consensus on EU agricultural policy, which was previously easy get to a consensus with agrarian representatives, which now is more difficult.
Later Thus, the process proceeds in the midst of strong contradictions between the interests of the of the big monopolists in convergence with other sectors capitalists and the conservative peasants of the imperialist countries themselves of Western Europe, similar to the case of the United States with the "treaties" U.S. trade with Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, etc. Points against the proletariat and the Little peasant.
One of the ways, in which these are manifested contradictions is the protest of the peasants (Bauerkampf), among the which are the great monopolists of the sector and other greats agricultural producers, who, as has transcended, are the ones that benefit the most protectionist policies and subsidies in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, etc. while the European Commission and its PAC act as the representative of the set seeing the need to "reform" the PAC for "the Structural change "and" the new internal and external challenges. "
We cite from the European Commission, in form summarized, the history of the PAC of its origins to the present, to show in What do we rely on to say the above:
1958 The Treaty of Rome places agriculture In the center of the activities of the
New European Economic Community and assigns the task of achieving greater
agricultural productivity , a fair standard of living for farmers,
availability of Supplies Markets Stabilized y a chain of
Safe supply with reasonable prices .
1962 launch the PAC, establish organizations Market Common (OCM)
of cereals, pigs, poultry, winemakers and fruit and vegetable
Agricultural orientation and guarantee (Foaga). HE establishes A guarantee system
based on supporting prices of
production to ensure the sale of
agricultural production .
1968 Since not only It has been reached self -sufficiency , but also
has greatly overcome the approach displaces towards the creation of a
greater balance between measures aimed at the agricultural markets and the
intended to
Modernize structures
agricultural.
Grades:
After the postwar crisis and the
application of market protectionism and then within the PAC, “
reached
the
self -sufficiency
agricultural and livestock to the community block and arose
The problem of
Overproduction
. Surpluses were generated
agricultural products, causing the accumulation of
stocks
, which had to export (with the help of
subsidies) at best, donated to
roads of
development
and other times stored or destroyed
inside the EU ”.
That is, the overproduction crisis of Imperialist countries of the EU was exported (and is continued) to countries of the Third World, following the example of Yankee imperialism, contributing to Maintain the misery and delay in Third World Agriculture, that is to say the semicolonial or colonial situation and semi -feudality, developing on that Base bureaucratic capitalism at the service of its imperialist interests.
M To make agricultural structures more effective
1984 A system of quotas for limit overproduction and administer
supplies for products such as milk . Producers who exceed their
quota are now obliged to pay a Bidding for surpluses.
1985 The Green Book on the Perspectives of The PAC presents ideas for greater
debates, such as reducing support for prices and diversification of
support measures to agricultural income. Are ideas include recognition
that in addition to securing our food supply, Agriculture
Contributes to tissue maintenance
social in rural areas, protection
of the earth and the conservation of natural resources .
Note: Need for small farms agricultural for the rest of capitalist farms in agriculture capitalist for agricultural workforce under conditions like themselves They say, of limitations to the immigration of the Third World Labor Force. Population needs of rugged and remote areas.
1992 THE MACSHARRY REFORM introduces a new support approach to
farmers, with the objective of reduce THE PAC BUDGET , Trim the
Overproduction y achieve With obligations under trade
International . Agreements
1999 Agenda 2000 paves the way for policy reform
EU regional and PAC, and seek strengthen EU's ability to receive
new members and continue complying with
The rules of the organization
World Trade Trade international .
2003 The Fischler reform, also known as "review
Intermediate, "checks the PAC. Enter the Innovative Unique Payment Regime
(RPU),
what
eliminates the link between the subvent and the volumes of
production
For a large part of the aid of the PAC .
Think tank pages of the European Parliament)
Note: Reform 2022-2027: It is the one that has entered collusion and struggle
In view of the above, we will now briefly look at The Development of Capitalist Agriculture in the Advanced (Imperialist) Countries and in the backward (semi-colonial) countries of the EU, starting from the Commission sources with our comments.
1.
The
displacement
of small production for the great
production in agriculture in advanced countries and the concentration of
Earth in the backward countries of the EU
The development of agriculture in EU 27 is considered and defined by the EU in the so -called European agricultural model, of the which one of his documents says:
"(...) as a frame that encompasses diversity of European agricultural regions, traditions and systems reflected in The wide variety of agricultural structures , types of culture of Earth and product range "
“ (…) long structural change process term ", such as:
Change towards a growing diversity of Models , which should allow an adaptation of agricultural systems according to its site in all European regions .
They highlight a substantial decrease of the number of agricultural farms in almost all NUTS 2 regions of the EU-27 (NUTS is the abbreviation for Unit Nomenclature Teritoriales Statistics 2).
And significant increase in size or Intensity of the remaining farms and/or a increased dependency on the Union with respect to agricultural imports , that is your projection.
This Trend a Agricultural concentration It is especially evident in The southern and eastern regions s. The mountainous areas also They run a high risk of abandon o.
Their projections predict a elderly Polarization of the agricultural structure , with an abandonment and a Continuous specialization in all scenarios.
Los Factors drivers of the decline of agricultural holdings They are mainly structural,
economic and social and, to a lesser extent, environmental.
On the effects of PAC , they say: factors such as subsidies and agricultural prices, and Macroeconomic and demographic variables play a greater role in the new Member States and affect different types differently of farms.
The case studies show that the main structural factor of the decrease of the number of farms It is an e market structure that favors Intensive production and large -scale farms , linked to some shrinking margins and poor bargaining power.
In addition, the barriers to the entrance aggravate the Demographic change problems (populations aging) and exodus rural.
Although there is concern about the system of Subsidies of the Union (PAC), the consensus is maintained
regarding such aids are indispensable, but must adapt even more to reverse the
negative effects ”(of synthesis: research For the Agri - the future of the European agricultural model: repercussions socioeconomic and territorial of the decrease in the number of farms agrarian and farmers in the EU)
Europe is first and foremost a geographical concept, but if we talk about Western Europe and Eastern Europe, we are no longer Not only geographical but economic-social concepts. As Engels said to At the end of the nineteenth century and Lenin reaffirmed himself, after 1905, Eastern Europe is not not a geographical concept but an economic-social one. This needs to be brought forward because we are going to encounter this reality when dealing with the agrarian problem in Europe, In addition, there are differences in degree between countries and also within countries. In each country, there are regional differences in this problem, which are more marked in different countries. Spain and Italy. In the same Eastern European countries there are differences among them.
Important not to be confused when Official studies and reports deal with "structural change" in agricultural farms of the EU generalize about the disappearance process of small agriculture for the benefit of the large in capitalist countries developed or imperialists, and of the minifundios for the benefit of the great estate property in the development of bureaucratic capitalism in agriculture in oppressed or backward countries.
Marx established the law of displacement of the workforce not only in relative but absolute terms with the development of capitalist agriculture unlike the decrease in Relative working population in the industry while employment grows in form absolute
Problem is that, in many cases, the classification or determination of the agricultural structure is done as if in the EU 27 There was a single economic world in agriculture, without differences from development of capitalism, based on this, sometimes the agrarian companies not for their investment and accumulation of capital, but for their size measured in hectares. This leads to the true agricultural producers, workers and small farmers, with the capitalists that invest their capital in agriculture.
Also take into account the need for small agricultural farms for the rest of the farms capitalists in capitalist agriculture for agricultural labor force in conditions like themselves, it says, of limitations to the immigration of Third World Work Force.
The above is behind the terms such as Diversity, small production, abandoned mountainous areas, etc.
They need, in Western European countries, set in the field a certain amount of population for agriculture and the settlement; Thus, as in the backward countries of Eastern Europe, the Development of bureaucratic capitalism in agriculture based on the estate, You need the minifundio to keep the peasantry to provide you with Working force as a semi -relief and rural proletariat
Commenting on the above: in the countries The aim is to maintain the binomial latifundio-minifundio, so that they are the small peasants who provide cheap labour-power, low-income wages, food security and industry of the countries as well as small-scale agriculture in the developing countries. for the remote areas and the mountains for the latter for reasons of Settlement and backwardness.
EU's agricultural policy pursues subordinate the agricultural production of semicolonial countries to their needs Imperialists The form will be through unequal treaties. "Help" Ukraine or "Free Trade Agreements" to bring the cheap soybeans of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and other countries. While they export capitals, supplies, machinery and knowledge, organizing their value chains under their Monopolies in these places, flooding this countries with their cheap goods.
Important to always keep in mind of the two aspect that implies the penetration of imperialism in oppressed countries or backward from the third world, which penetrates to Europe itself (president Gonzalo).
"However, the new phenomenon that we have spoken The emergence and development of capitalism constitutes only one aspect of the change operated following the penetration of imperialism in
China . There is another aspect that is concomitant with the first and that, at the same time, hinders it: the collusion of imperialism with Chinese feudal forces to prevent development of Chinese capitalism .
By penetrating our country, the powers The imperialists in no way intended to transform feudal China into a Capitalist China. Their goal was just the opposite: to make her a semi-colony or colony.
To do this, imperialist powers have used and continue to use all means of military, political, economic and cultural, which has allowed them to gradually convert China into a semicolonia and colony ”.
“ National capitalism has developed to some extent and play a considerable role in political life and Cultural of China. However, It has not become the form main within its economic-social regime ; It's very weak , and in Most part is (more) or less associated with foreign imperialism and Internal feudalism ”(President Mao Tsetung, the Chinese Revolution and The Communist Party of China, December 1939).
Will continue....