Gambling on Pakistan's Agricultural Future

Abstract

Najma Sadeque argues that the future of Pakistan's agriculture could go in two possible directions – working the soil to death chasing export monoculture and thereby hastening desertification and the collapse of the farm sector and the economy at large, or returning to intensive, small-scale and collective organic farming. If it chooses the latter path, the process of rediscovering traditional farming methods would create space for small farmers to help bring about a degree of egalitarianism and true free enterprise – reluctantly on the part of the power-holders, but permitted out of sheer need rather than for any ideological reasons.