Campesinos Debate 21st Century Agrarian Reform

Large landowners have historically held a lot of power in Argentina. At a regional Campesino Union Summit, participants agreed that the national oligarchy made up of land-owning elites, some of whom are allied with multinational corporations, is the major obstacle to progressive policies for the countryside. Speakers questioned modern technologies used in food production without taking environmental consequences into account, and noted that major corporations retain 60% of ther profits. To confront this model, campesinos debated a proposal for agrarian reform adapted to the realities of the 21st century, as well as sustainable food production models. Laureano Ponce reports from Buenos Aires for teleSUR