October is Peasant Month, a period to emphasize the struggles of one of the poorest and most ignored sectors of our societies—peasants and farmers, who have been the backbone of economic development and civilization throughout human history.
In the Asia-Pacific region, land reform has often been the flagship platform of election promises and development policies starting in the 20th century. Land reform, when done correctly, result to development and increased household incomes. Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan, whose land reform efforts were relatively aggressive, were able to leverage land reform to spur economic growth. As an example, China’s grain output increased by 70 percent, while income inequality shrank in Taiwan as more household farmers dominated agricultural exports[1].
However, genuine land reform remains elusive, with most cases leading to abject failure. Contrary to its primary objective, there is increased concentration of land among the elites instead, resulting in larger gaps between rural and urban incomes. In the worst cases, like the Philippines, failed land reform efforts have resulted in the further strengthening of traditional elite families, further institutionalizing feudal economic and social structures.
October also marks the IMF-World Bank Group’s Annual Meeting (AM)—where the finance and economic ministers of the world, along with representatives from business, international organizations, and civil society gather to discuss economic and financial policies, the world economy, poverty reduction, and aid effectiveness. However, a cursory look at the agenda for the meeting shows that only one of the dozens of events, talks, and seminars focuses on agriculture, and none focus on land reform. Instead, the AM’s events focus more on issues of monetary policy, financial inclusion, digitalization and artificial intelligence, and human capital development.
While these issues are relevant for development today, the IMF-WB and governments seem to be putting the cart before the horse. We must do well to remember that these discussions on the future of the economy and development would be moot and pointless if we do not first address the basics of human and economic development–food, and the land it is grown on.
[1]2017 October. For Asia, the path to prosperity starts with land reform. The Economist, 425 (9062)
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