From the United States to a world system: Technological change, international trade, agricultural policy in the 20th century.
1985
Berlan J.P.
This paper attemps to build a comprehensive framework of the transformations of agriculture in the 20th century foccussing mainly on the case of the United States where they first took place. The moving force behind these transformations is an enduring overproduction crisis which begun at the end of W.W. I, exploded during the 30's, was more or less under control after W.W. II and is becoming again particularly threatening. Overproduction has triggered the search for a new system of agricultural production and food consumption based on the transformation in grain into meat. This could be done economically thanks to high protein concentrates -ie soybean meal. Soybeans appear in Agricultural Statistics for the first time in 1924 and now are grown on as many acres as maize. The corn belt has become a corn soybean belt. A general process of capital accumulation and commoditization of the farm economy has led to a powerful agribusiness system which has little to do with previous forms of organization of agriculture.
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