The anger of small farmers is understandable and justified. In recent months, large farmer protests have erupted across Europe, including in Germany, Spain, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands. In France, the grievances of certain agricultural sectors have recently emerged on the political scene. The start of agricultural mobilization in France dates back to the end of 2023, with acts of revolt such as the reversal of city signposts, led by the Young Farmers (JA, affiliated with the FNSEA), as a sign of protest against late payment of CAP aid. Launched in Tarn (81), this initiative spread across the entire French territory, involving thousands of localities. Although the movement was initially launched by the FNSEA and the JA, we are witnessing the emergence of spontaneous dynamics locally. According to Jérôme Bayle, breeder and emblematic figure of the movement in Occitania, regarding the blocking of the A64: “it was not [the unions] who gave the green light. If we had waited for them to mobilize, we would not have done anything before tomorrow, Tuesday. There, at least, we put our c***** on the table". The reasons for the protest are multiple and vary according to the branches of activity. Nevertheless, the general demands include the maintenance of subsidies for the GNR ( Non-Road Diesel), criticized for its environmental impact, better consideration of production costs in setting agricultural prices, and firm opposition to certain European regulations deemed too restrictive. The rise in fertilizer prices, attributed to the war in Ukraine, and that of livestock feed, particularly affect farmers. Furthermore, they are faced with a general increase in all their inputs (products necessary for agricultural production), without being able to pass these costs on to their production prices. sale, due in particular to the pressure from large supermarkets and unfair competition within the EU. Added to this is a criticism of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which according to the demonstrators, does not sufficiently support small and operating means. They denounce a CAP which favors large agricultural groups, to the detriment of small farmers who are trying to survive in an increasingly difficult market.
There is an obvious convergence of struggles between the agricultural world and the urban worker, both victims of the capitalist logic which aims to reduce costs, put pressure on producers and workers while maximizing the profits of large companies and distributors. Responding to the growing plight of smallholders and agricultural workers, we are advancing a revolutionary vision for agriculture: collectivization. This approach aims to restructure the sector by placing the means of production and resource management in the hands of those who work the land.
In the wake of the Spanish Revolution of 1936, a tremendous breath of change swept away the rigid and unequal structures of society, giving rise to alternative models of economic and social management that were both bold and progressive. Among these innovations, the collectivization of agricultural land emerged not only as a political necessity, but also as an ethical shift towards a fairer and more equitable relationship with production and resources.
Taking example from regions like Aragon, where entire villages have embraced land self-management, we understand the transformative potential of these initiatives. Collectivization went far beyond a simple reorganization of work; it reshaped the entire community around values of solidarity, equality, and direct management. The workers, working together, were able to demonstrate that the pooling of land and tools, associated with so-called production management, could lead not only to greater efficiency, but also to a substantial improvement in quality. life of community members.
In cities like Barcelona, the collectivist impulse was also evident in industry, proving that the concept of collectivization could be successfully transferred beyond agriculture. Workers' committees, elected from among the workers themselves, managed the factories, favoring a fair distribution of profits and direct involvement of workers in strategic decisions. This model demonstrated that a collective approach could generate not only greater social justice, but also increased accountability and motivation among workers.
Such historical experiences suggest that collectivization, far from being an ideological relic, offers a practical and viable framework for rethinking the use of our most precious resources. By harmonizing with the principles of solidarity and self-management, collectivization promotes sustainable agriculture that protects the environment while ensuring food security and the sovereignty of local communities.
Today, in an era where inequalities are widening and the ecological emergency demands innovative responses, looking back to the successes of the communities of the Spanish Revolution offers not only inspiration, but also a road map for an agricultural and an economy based on principles of justice and sustainability. Collectivization is not just a thing of the past; it is a promising path towards a more equitable and harmonious future. Here are general examples of collectivization during the Spanish Revolution of 1936 that Gaston Leval and other historians have often mentioned in their writings:
• Aragon Community: The Aragon region has experienced particularly extensive collectivization experiences, with a large number of villages and farms organized into self-managed agricultural communities. Workers pooled land and tools, and collectively and directly managed the production and distribution of goods.
• Industry in Barcelona: In the industrial city of Barcelona, many factories were collectivized by their workers. For example, workers' control was established in public transport, municipal services and in the manufacturing industry. These industries were run by committees elected by workers.
• Village of Marinaleda in Andalusia: Although later and having survived the revolutionary period, the agricultural cooperative of Marinaleda is sometimes cited as a contemporary example of the spirit of agrarian communities initiated during the Spanish Revolution.
• Orwell in Huesca: In " Homage to Catalonia ", George Orwell describes his experience in Huesca , where he observed collectively arable land and efforts for communist management of the city.
Continuing the experience of libertarian communism in revolutionary Spain in 1936, we propose a platform of struggle revolving around the following key elements:
• The transformation of the Common Agricultural Policy in order to support a model of collectivized agriculture, favoring agricultural operations managed by collectives, responsible for and beneficiaries of their work. This model aims to establish environmentally friendly and socially just agriculture, which would guarantee a viable future for rural communities.
• The establishment of economic worker power which prohibits selling at a loss, thus ensuring that each agricultural product is sold at a price which recognizes the value of the work and resources invested. A system of guaranteed prices would provide a stable and fair basis for agricultural collectives, allowing them to concentrate on quality production, without the pressure of competition based on price dumping.
• Vigorous encouragement of agricultural cooperation and the development of short circuits, by making cooperatives the main beneficiaries of distribution circuits. This aims to eliminate middlemen and big stores who take an excessive proportion of the profits, while bringing producers closer to consumers.
• Solidarity with the struggles of other workers, emphasizing that the farmers' struggle is part of a broader protest against the capitalist system. We must join forces and coordinate our actions to change the system that hinders the quality of life and economic security of all workers.
Uniting around collectivization under the control of agricultural workers is the only path that will allow us to break the deadlock. Only this collectivization can offer dignified living conditions to those who feed the world, giving them control of their work and the ability to shape the future of agriculture. We must recognize that the struggle of small farmers is not a threat, but rather an opportunity to form a united front to confront the many crises caused by the current system, and to initiate the transition towards a truly sustainable and socially sustainable agricultural model. just.
The proposal of this platform of struggle for the transformation of current agriculture resonates with the urgent questions of social equality and the concept of council communism. Collectivization, by putting power in the hands of workers and collectives, poses a direct challenge to the elitist and capitalist structures that dominate the market and current agricultural policies. It embodies the hope of a society where collective well-being takes precedence over private interests and where decisions about production and distribution are made by those who are directly involved and affected.
This movement toward council communism, where farmers and workers come together to form direct management bodies, represents an approach that transcends traditional capitalism. It proposes a radical vision where the economy is administered by workers' councils which make decisions in a horizontal and participatory manner, without the oppressive hierarchy of corporatisms and state bureaucracies. We advocate a horizontal organization of power in committee, with the designation of delegates bound by an imperative and revocable mandate for the committee. This organization is obviously opposed to authoritarian management by a bureaucracy such as it was imposed in the Stalinist regimes of the 20th century. Small farmers, agricultural workers, consumers conscious of their power, all together, are the dawn that heralds the end of capitalist exploitation. Contrary to the unfounded fears of those who cling to a bygone past, this unity is the foundation of a future where profit is no longer the blind engine of a dehumanized economy. It is by breaking elitist frameworks, dismantling the cult of property and collectively appropriating the fruits of our labor that we will build a world where agriculture becomes a common good, where each grain sown is the symbol of freedom and solidarity. It is our imperative duty to reject not only the vestiges of past authoritarianism but also the illusions of a democracy that maintains structures of exploitation under a veil of illusory freedom. We seek not simply to redistribute power, but to dissolve its concentrations, to build a community of mutual support where authority is not synonymous with domination, but with collective responsibility.
Forward, therefore, with courage and conviction, breaking the shackles of ignorance and oppression, towards free and self-managed agriculture, a fertile field for the communist society to come where humanity, freed from capitalist greed , will finally be able to grow in harmony with the earth that nourishes it. Solidarity, freedom, equality, these are the seeds of our revolution; It's up to us to cultivate them until council communism flourishes!
In conclusion, social equality is at the heart of this struggle for collectivization and council communism. Inspired by the anarchist approach, this movement aims to abolish abusive hierarchies, to fairly distribute wealth and to allow each member of society to have a say in the decisions that impact their lives. It is a call for a renewal of solidarity among workers and a fundamental reassessment of our relationship to the land and food production. In this spirit, the legacies of the revolutionary Spain of 1936 and the workers' councils remind us that another world, fairer and freer, is not only possible, but absolutely necessary.
OUR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES:
Homage to Catalonia" (1938) by George Orwell. This book is Orwell's personal account of his experience as a militiaman in the POUM (Workers' Party for Marxist Unification) militia during the Spanish Civil War. While not an academic text, it offers a first-hand perspective on the events of this period, including the experiences of collectivization.
"The Spanish Anarchists: The Heroic Years 1868-1936" (1977) by Murray Bookchin. This work provides a detailed account of anarchist movements in Spain up to the start of the Spanish Civil War, and includes information on collectivizations.
“Anarchism and Workers’ Self-Management in Revolutionary Spain” (2012) by Frank Mintz. This book deals with the history of the anarchist movement in Spain and its role in collectivization during the 1936 Revolution.
“Collectives in the Spanish Revolution” (1976) by Gaston Leval. This author, activist and libertarian historian, presents a detailed analysis of the agricultural and industrial communities that emerged in Spain during the revolutionary period.