1.3 Man and Land at Society Level
The shrinking number of farms and agricultural labour force,
the ever decreasing share of agriculture in the national income,
and the increasing penetration of industrialization into our
life often lead to the notion that the importance of agriculture
for economy and society is diminishing. Instead, it is suggested
that the goals set by society for agriculture and the functions
of land in the society are changing as compared to former
times.
Providing food for the agricultural as well as non-agricultural
sections of the society has always been one of the main tasks
and plays an important role even in times of international
trade. The latest events have brought to everybody's mind
the importance of producing the basis of nutrition within
the country, i.e., under its own control. But, in earlier
times already, a number of other goals for agriculture have
played an important role.
During the depression and again in 1945-53, it was important
to provide a maximum number of job opportunities to guarantee
subsistence for as many people as possible. From 1934-55,
a maximum of self-sufficiency in food constituted the core
of agrarian policy. As from 1956, the focus of attention was
on reaping, for the agricultural population, an income comparable
to that earned in industry. In 1958, other goals started to
attract attention: agriculture was required to secure a beautiful
landscape, a place where city dwellers could spend their vacation,
and rest from the noise of the town. The last decade with
its focus on pollution, the preservation of nature, etc. brought
new goals set by society to agriculture.
The changes in the relation between man and land are manifold,
but change is a natural thing in industrial society, and agriculture
has to adjust to the norms of industrial society. While these
changes have been a cause of friction for many families, for
the first time in history, these very changes have demolished
the barrier between city and country and made of the rural
society an integral section of the society at large.
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