School Building Condition Checklist

the Sociedad Rural Argentina, by Guido Patricio Filippo

Federal Capital (Paco Urondo Agency, published by BAE Journal 07/01/2011)

In 2008 he was the confrontation of two different economic models. On the one hand, the proposed agricultural institutions, an economic model based on exporting soybeans and provide raw materials to developed countries, which means to remain a country dependent on international prices and the foreign market. On the other hand, the model of government, calling for an industrial country social inclusion with economic independence. Two models are diametrically opposed to each other, which polarized society into two distinct groups: one in favor and others against the national model.

In this discussion the leaders of the entities agriculture (Llambías, Miguens, Buzzi, Garetto) began to analyze what is the economic and social policy should lead our country forward. For example, Hugo Biolcati, current president of Argentina Rural Society, in his speeches he works in the exhibition La Rural in Palermo every year, spoke of poverty and marginalization. Also, they wondered why the national government puts so many obstacles to agriculture, because he believes it belongs sector is the engine of our country and said that if he encouraged with different macroeconomic policies, for example removing deductions, you could feed all Argentines.

Now we ask: What are the economic interests representing Rural Society and who benefits? What has been the role of Rural Society in Argentina's history? Let's start by answering these questions.

La Sociedad Rural Argentina emerged in 1866 in the midst of one of the many crises that affected our country in its history. This crisis was a direct consequence of the war against Paraguay waged by Bartolomé Mitre with the help of Brazil and Uruguay against Paraguay, which is known as the War of the Triple Alliance.

In this context of crisis, there is a ruin of wool production, which encourages producers to create Sociedad Rural Argentina against the economic policies that had led to the breakdown of many producers. Thus arises Argentina Rural Society. Its founding members were Jose Alfredo Martinez de Hoz , Eduardo Olivera, F. Lorenzo Agüero, Ramón Viton and Barnabas Francisco Madero .

In 1879 Argentina Rural Society funded the "Conquest of the Desert." The National Government issued bonds with future land titles to 400 piastres each, which represented 2,500 hectares , but the minimum to enter the "business" was 1200 pesos, which is equivalent to 10,000 hectares . Interestingly, reflecting what was happening at the moment is that 344 families were able to get 10,869,000 hectares.

So we know in our oligarchy history as Argentina, are those who managed to have the most fertile areas of Argentine soil, through which ran the state apparatus through the PAN (National Autonomist Party). The oligarchy achieved through control of the state to expropriate land belonging to indigenous peoples in the "Conquest of the Desert" and took place between 1879 and 1880. This general term imposed by Argentina's official history to name this stage is questionable because the land was not disabled but indigenous people living there who were killed in a massacre with the aim of increasing amounts of land.

While possessing the most fertile of all, the land was totally unproductive at first because they had no communication with the port. Railroads installed British private capital, which were connected in a fan shape across our country, all go towards the port areas, instead of connecting different towns to encourage regional trade.

Now why the British invested? Because they were given extensive benefits to do so. No taxes were charged, they yielded a league of land on the side of routes and are guaranteed a 7% annual return on their investment. All this made it possible to put up food production and land is recovered between 1883 and 1887: the land increased by 1000%. Therefore, it is defending free trade without any tariff barriers that would protect the industry within the country.

These huge tracts of land also required labor that was disciplined because of the gaucho and strong immigration process that occurred mainly between 1900-1910, a period in which they enter the country 1,600 .000 inhabitants. This process allowed landowners exploit immigrants because they brought a substantial rooted culture of work. He rented land at exorbitant prices and sold them the materials they needed at very high prices. This produced a social explosion is known as "Grito de Alcorta" which has resulted in the emergence of the Agrarian Federation to deal with the Rural Society.

In the '30s, the famous Sociedad Rural suffered a significant blow to the collapse of the agro-export model and to start a new one, ISI (import substitution industrialization). The cause of this strike is that England affected by the global crisis turns to protectionism and therefore no longer buy meat and cereals. At that time, Argentina bought manufactured goods cheaper and better America. Rural Society against a decline in purchases of the UK market starts to propose a policy of "Buy to whom we buy."

With the arrival of the Conservatives to power, the pressure exerted by the Rural Society to continue to maintain intercourse with England is reflected in the Roca-Runciman Treaty in 1933. This pact deeply harmed Argentina to the economic issues, and that gave broad benefits to the British and only landowners are assured a minimum share of purchases of raw materials.

In the 40s, the Rural Society opposes several of the measures enacted by Peron, especially two in particular: the status of a laborer in 1944 and the creation in 1946 IAPI . The first bill established the application of labor standards for laborers in the field: minimum wages, Sunday rest, vacation pay, conditions of shelter, space and safety, etc. The IAPI was the Argentine Institute for Promotion Exchange founded in 1946 with the following objectives: to exercise a monopoly on farm sales abroad, lower prices paid to producers on the international market and domestic money thus obtaining a difference aimed at financing industrial development.

With the advent of neoliberalism in 1976, disappeared this conflict to agricultural entities, and that the economic model they proposed was an open economy to industrial products and without any withholding tax on agricultural products.

In 2008 the government Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner proposed sliding tax scheme to discourage the growing soybean (raw material consumed only 2% of Argentina's total and the rest is exported mainly to China) and in this way for not diminish the supply of products that consume all Argentines as meat. Agricultural entities opposed to this measure by roadblocks, political rallies etc.

In conclusion, we can say that, looking at the different periods of our history, Rural Society from its inception until today, defending the interests of a few who are part of it, and have considerable economic power. Just looking to maximize profits regardless of social and economic cost.

This year they face the two projects: first, the proposed agricultural entities with the Rural Society to the head, it's back to the agro-export model, and secondly the proposed Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the deepening of the current model. A country for a few or a country for everyone.

The author is a member of the Research Group of National Economy and Popular (GEENaP) www.geenap.com.ar (Paco Urondo Agency)