Dialogues on nature, class and gender: Revisiting socio-ecological reproduction in past organic advanced agriculture (Sentmenat, Catalonia, 1850)

Abstract

The concept of socio-ecological reproduction allows linking some fundamental approaches and methods of Ecological, Feminist and Sraffian Economics. By accounting reproductive flows we highlight the material and time efforts required to maintain ecological funds (i.e. soil fertility and livestock) and social funds (i.e. labour force) of farm systems, as well as the role of social appropriation of the surplus that went beyond them in preindustrial class structures. Through the methodology proposed to estimate time, energy, nutrients and cash balances at household level we can infer relevant insights in terms of social organisation of labour and social distribution of produce in past organic advanced agricultures. Results show that the productive capacity of farmland and labour were quite similar across farms, while the farmland hoarding exerted by a wealthier ruling class defined the unequal distribution of produce. The match between subsistence needs and wages shows that nearly the whole potential surplus per labour unit was extracted. Dependence on reproducible funds implied the reinvestment of large amounts of renewable flows that constrained the amount of surplus appropriable. Finally, we deem that technical change and increase of total produce along socio-ecological transitions might have been affected by the social class structure of preindustrial societies.