November 1979's Issue

Redistribution land can cause serious problems between one group of rural workers and another. NEERJA CHOWDHURY reports from an Indian village that has become a symbol of the struggle between castes.

JENNEKE ARENS and JOS VAN BEURDEN talk to a labourer in Bangladesh who has to survive by working on other people’s land.

Global seed distribution has now passed into the hands of the huge agrichemical companies. PAT MOONEY explains how this is putting the genetic base of our foods at risk and HUGO FERNANDEZ looks at the results of another activity of the same companies.

Modernising agriculture usually means drawing peasant farmers further into the cash economy. But CHERYL PAYER argues far from improving their position, such ‘modern­isation’ actually undermines it.

PETER STALKER looks at the divide between rich and poor in the Third World countryside and at the chances for successful land reform.

Dixon proposes that non-agricultural work for women is a hopeful, productive answer to the self-perpetuating syndrome of rural poverty and continuous child-bearing.

A constructive collection of articles valuable to any parent who is attempting to think about the process of bringing up children rather than simply letting it happen.

What makes a land reform work? ROY LAISHLEY looks at the factors that have led to success in South Korea and DAVID WILSON examines the relative failure in Peru.

Hundreds and thousands of Americans make up what is called ‘the secondary labour market’, a group of unskilled, largely minority, workers who are the preserve of casual labour in the US.

The world’s food supplies are coming increasingly under the control of multinational cor­porations who take much of the profit and few of the risks. SUSAN GEORGE explains the implications.