At the beginning of the third millennium, Ukraine has the historic possibility of becoming a global “savior” since mankind is facing the threat of starvation.
Ukraine is one of the few countries that can provide food for its own citizens, as well as feeding others.If Ukraine’s agricultural potential is used properly, in addition to meeting the demand of its citizens, the world market could annually receive products worth tens of billions of dollars.This would satisfy the country’s needs for all sorts of energy resources and other commodities, which it does not produce.
So far, however, we carelessly use our land and cannot properly feed ourselves, not to mention the rest of the world; every year, Ukraine’s food imports grow.Nine out of 10 apples (not bananas but apples!) are imported to Ukraine.It has come to the point where we import potatoes from Egypt, and buckwheat from overpopulated China.This is only because we consistently create favorable conditions for imports and restrictive ones for domestic producers. I firmly believe that land sales do not contribute to the development of traditional, yet cost-effective, agriculture.
I have always been a supporter of the market economy and recognize the effectiveness of private property, but I am not sure if this should automatically be projected to land relations.Land ownership reform, previously conducted in Ukraine, was not a factor in effective management, and has not restored social justice. Solving the problem of Ukrainian agriculture by implementing agricultural land ownership through sharing has failed.
Effectively, we see a transition to employing peasants using some medieval principles, i.e., working in their own private households.
Currently, this approach still feeds Ukraine by providing two-thirds of its food products.
I will not support those who feel our farmers are completely foolish and argue that having permission to sell land, he will immediately be cheated.
I am against the sale of land because in our situation, major capital can be the only buyer.Let it pay farmers the true market value, and still no money will keep our village from destruction.Major capital is not interested in the village and its people, and it is has proven this with the example of agricultural holdings. With the disappearance of countryside life, the Ukrainian mentality will start to fade.In Western Europe, vast sums of money are ejected into agriculture in order to preserve indigenous nations in each country.
Nowhere in the world, except perhaps Brazil, is latifundium-style management allowed.Big business cannot farm differently other than on a very intensive basis.Agricultural holdings sell raw material on the world market rather than food products.Real world demand covers not only food products, but also high quality organic products.The nation will never get rich by selling fodder wheat for $150 dollars per ton.
High quality and expensive products available in wealthy countries can be grown only by small- and medium-sized farms.Ukraine will acquire wealth only through organic products, and not by growing sunflower and rapeseed, since nothing else will grow on the ground where those products are harvested.
Latifundia – and it does not matter whether it is foreign or domestic-owned – is a threat not only to the Ukrainian peasant but to the future of Ukraine. The sale of land will open the door to that concept.
We should create legal obstacles for the growth of gigantic businesses, and at the same time create conditions for the development of small- and medium-sized ones.
In my opinion, Ukrainian villages require the following:
• The creation of a computerized system of the nation’s land cadastre. Anyone who wants to buy land can obtain all the information necessary about the parcel, including its previous owners, quality, cost estimates and more. Individuals willing to sell land can compare proposals. We should start with the full register, and only then perhaps continue with buying and selling;
• We must engage all legal measures possible under the World Trade Organization to limit unfair competition from imported food products, such as quality, health, environmental and epidemiological regulations. The rules under which the health and life of Ukrainians are literally being destroyed by poisonous products and their production components should not apply;
• Direct the activities of Ukrainian government institutions in foreign countries to promote and advance products produced in Ukraine in international markets, provide advisory and legal assistance to Ukrainian producers in adapting their activities and products to potential regulatory requirements of importing countries;
• Ukrainian organic products are the best in the world, but the global community does not know about them. We must create our own network of diagnostic and laboratory centers that would certify the quality of Ukrainian products for marketing abroad.We should stimulate the creation of small- and medium-sized collective farms that produce, manufacture, process and market in the agricultural sector;
• We need to create the infrastructure for receiving and storing small-scale agricultural crops and manufactured livestock products.We should restore the state system of seed production and breeding, and support the needs of farmers with a wide variety of crops and high livestock breeds.In addition, we should create a network of technical service centers that would provide agricultural producers with services of tillage, harvesting and primary processing in the rural area.
Oleh Lyashko is a member of Ukraine’s parliament.
