Socialist Action & the Struggles of Family Farmers

Introduction: Socialist Action and YSA are supporters of working farmers in their struggle to stay on the land and be paid decent prices for their produce. Along with workers, farmers are the other major class of producers in this country off whose labor the capitalist class has grown so wealthy. As commodity producers who own, or who aspire to own, the land they work, most farmers are not part of the working class (they don't have to sell their labor power). But like wage workers, farmers are exploited by the capitalists; workers as wage slaves, farmers as debt slaves.

Over the past few decades, this exploitation of farmers has been intensified by the banks and by the seed, fertilizer, food processing, farm implement and energy monopolies. This tightening squeeze comes on top of the inflation, tax burden, war danger and other social problems facing working people.

SA and YSA advocates solidarity between workers and farmers, and seeks to help direct their struggles against their common oppressor, the capitalists.

We’ve set up this page to report on developments in the farmers' movement, post articles on the lessons of past farmer struggles, and explain the role that Marxists believe farmers can and will play. We welcome your feedback.

Family Farmer News & Views:

Farm Worker March Attacks Burger King’s Greed: A Nov. 30th protest of more than 1500 farm workers and supporters marched in Miami to the national headquarters of the giant Burger King corporation to demand that it pay farm workers in Immokalee, Florida one more penny a pound to pick tomatoes and improve working conditions. Observers have called conditions in this Central Florida town, "modern day slavery." Many of the Miami marchers wore T-shirts with "Exploitation King" imposed over Burger King logos. continued

The Struggle of Black Farmers Today: The primary issue contributing to Black farmers’ decline is rooted in the reforged class structure that followed the abolition of chattel slavery after the Civil War. The war left the South’s infrastructure in ruins. Stripped of its main source of surplus value (profit)—slave labor—the Southern economy became subordinate to the new king, Northern industrial capitalism. continued

WI & the American Transmission Co. Gang Up on Farmers: For years the American Transmission Company has been trying, with a lot of success, to intimidate and bribe local governments, courts and regulatory bodies to give it a green light for the Arrowhead-Weston line. The Arrowhead-Weston, if built, will be a massive 345 Kilovolt (that’s 345,000 volts!) bulk transmission line that will allow ATC to sell cheap electricity from the Manitoba Hydro project in Canada to the Chicago area, where it could make a handsome profit underselling existing electric providers. continued

The Ongoing National Farm Crisis: The roots of the current farm crisis reach back into the 1970s. At that time farmers were rushing to buy and rent more land and machinery to take advantage of a huge increase in the export of agricultural products overseas being orchestrated by the U.S. government. Banks were anxious to lend money, and to most farmers it seemed as if the prosperity would go on forever. continued

Down on the ‘Socially Responsible’ Farm: "Think Green," says Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey. But if the issue is labor rights or how many Fair Trade coffee companies mostly still profit from exploiting farmers, he may not want you to think too much. continued

Archived Articles:

The Plight of Working Farmers:

Washington D.C. rally highlights Black farmers’ struggle in America

Down on the 'Socially Responsible' Farm

The Ongoing National Farm Crisis
Dust Bowl Blues

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Rural Activism:

Farmers & Students Block the American Transmission Company

Interview W/ an Activist From Save Our Unique Lands

Rural Midwesterners Stand Up to Electric Power Monopoly
History of the American Agriculture Movement

Critique of the Movement for Sustainability

Gas, Crop & Livestock Prices: