Venezuela: land reform, food sovereignty and agroecology.

• Author: Broughton, Alan

A massive transformation of agriculture is occurring in Venezuela, a transformation that has lessons for every other country in the world. The Law of the Land and Agrarian Development, the Law of Food Sovereignty and Security, and the Law of Integrated Agricultural Health set out the agenda. The policies are based on the premises that farmers should have control of their land and product, that the country should produce its own food, and that chemical fertilizers and pesticides should not be part of agriculture.

Land in Venezuela has been in the hands of about 500 families and corporations since the 1800s and worked by an impoverished peasantry. Much of the land was underutilized for cattle ranching, pulp-wood plantations, export crops such as sugar cane, or left idle. Most food was imported. This land is gradually being taken over by the government and handed to local communities who have been fighting for it for two centuries.

Food sovereignty is a key government policy, guaranteed in the constitution: "Food sovereignty is the inalienable right of a nation to define and develop priorities and foods appropriate to its specific conditions, in local and national production, conserving agricultural and cultural diversity and self sufficiency and guaranteeing food supply to all the population." Food imports are only allowed if there is a shortfall of production in the country, and exports occur only after domestic demand is met.

Control over production is in the hands of farmers' cooperatives on the newly distributed lands. Assistance is provided by the government for cooperative management and to establish processing plants so the farmers are no longer victim to the power to set prices of the processors and distributors. Agriculture is planned, at three levels: the National Agrarian Assembly, the regional agrarian assemblies and the local peasants and producers councils. The regional assemblies are elected by the peasants and producers councils.

One goal is the elimination of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Venezuela has long experienced their use and the change will be gradual. Agroecology colleges have been set up with the assistance of Cuban advisors, as Cuba went through this process 20 years ago and is now almost fully organic. Agroecology is promoted in all agricultural development projects, to producers and institutes.

I had the opportunity in July 2010 to visit Venezuela and see the changes that are taking place. Here are my impressions.

Urban agriculture--Caracas

Venezuela is emulating the remarkable achievements of Cuba, where more than half of the fruit and vegetable needs of the urban population...