Russia and the Soviet Union, Then
and Now…From
Government Controlled Collectives to Member Owned and Controlled
Cooperatives
Several of my volunteer consulting assignments with the USAID Farmer
to Farmer program were in countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU)
in Eastern Europe and in Central Asia. Because of the history of
these countries, I feel it necessary to explain briefly my
experiences in these former communist countries separately from
those in Africa and in Western Europe.
Stalin’s Five Year Plans, starting in 1930, were the start of
Collectivism of the Soviet Union. Government
Agents came like raging beasts, depopulating villages, eliminating
farms and private businesses and forcing people into collective
villages. The Kulaks, (the educated and Professionals), and Peasants
were either killed or sent by train to forced labor camps. All
property and livestock became Government property causing farmers to
kill their livestock rather than let the Government confiscate them.
The Ukraine Drought of 1933 caused well over one million people to
starve to death. It was illegal, in fact, punishable by death to
take even an ear of corn or a cup of fresh milk to feed a starving
child. The Government boasted about Collectivization being a success
even while people were starving to death. “Collectivization is here
to stay”, they proudly announced to the world.
Under Communism it was illegal to own property, to worship God or to
travel outside one’s village without a government issued Visa.
Because there were very few privately owned automobiles, travel was
mostly by train.
The fall of Communism in 1991 left 15 countries struggling to create
democratic governments. Not a simple task, as many government
officials in these countries were staunch supporters of communism,
and worked hard through propaganda to keep the country from going
democratic.
Each country was left to deal with the enormous task of instituting
a competitive Free-Market Society vs. the Government mandated Quota
System for agriculture and industry. The problems associated with
granting private ownership to land and establishing a Grass-Roots
government will take years to complete.
The five freedoms we take for granted were illegal under communism:
1)
Religion
2)
Speech
3)
Press
4)
Petition
5)
Assembly
“The people of the former Soviet Union were not prepared for forced
collectivism 65 years ago, just as they are not prepared for forced
capitalization today. It will take the next generations to make
democracy work and be accepted”.
-
Boris Yeltsin 1995, First
President of the Russian Federation of Post Soviet Russia 1991-1999
The Role of the USAID
Farmer to Farmer Program
The Farmer to Farmer program consists of several volunteers working
on short term assignments throughout the three year program. My
assignments in the FSU dealt with teaching and training the farmers
in the collective villages, formerly workers on government
controlled collectives, to establish Western Style member owned and
controlled Cooperatives.
During the training sessions I would be asked: “How much is the
bribe in America?”, “How much money do I have?” or “Do I own a farm
or a car?”
There is the impression among the people of the Former Soviet Union
countries that all Americans are millionaires. Due to their
communist indoctrination they don’t associate making money through
the Free Market, they believe people get wealthy only through
corruption as they have witnessed in Post-Soviet Russia.
There is a fundamental difference in training the farmers in
the FSU and in training the farmers in the agriculture sector
of Africa. The people of the FSU have experience with mechanization,
from working on farms as large as 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). In
Africa I found many families in the poorest countries subsisting on
plots of land without farm implements larger than a hand held hoe,
fork or rake used exclusively by the women of the village. Families
in these poorest countries have existed for years on the same plot
of land handed down by their ancestors.
The objective of training in Africa is to teach village farmers to
gain trust by joining together with neighboring villages in finding
new and more profitable markets for their produce. The objective of
training in the FSU is to introduce the farmers to the Free Market
system by helping to organize member owned and controlled
cooperatives.
Return to QuistSpeaks Home from Former Soviet Union (FSU)
Everil Quist - President & CEO of QuistSpeaks, LLC
"Aside from teaching cooperative farming techniques, I have learned so much from working with the noble peoples of third world countries, and have many heartwarming and entertaining stories to tell.
By sharing these adventrues with my audiences, I am 'Creating Positive Change" - and I find that both heart-warming and immensely fulfilling."
"Everil Quist’s depth of knowledge about how business is run in this country, and around the world, makes him a unique public speaker. His stories of his adventures overseas are true and unusual. I do not hesitate to recommend him for any speaking event anywhere.”