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Algerian Agriculture: The Aftereffects of the History

Abstract

The history of Algerian agriculture is little known in Anglo-Saxon circles, deserves a reconsideration of the history of its development.

But talking about agricultural and rural development in Algeria today cannot be done without referring to the history that has built or destroyed the current agricultural and rural economy.

Using a historical approach, our article attempts to correlate historical events with their influence on farmers and economic outcomes.

The history of economic and social development has not really given priority to the agricultural sector. Its dynamics remained closely linked to the rank that the State gave to it, in terms of technical and financial means.

The period before the colonization had influence on the social structure and on the mode of production but little on the agrarian structures. French colonial history has had social, economic, cultural and even political consequences for the country as a whole. This populous colonization, having uprooted and expropriated the farmers in the service of the metropolis did not develop the Algerian economy.

But independence has not called into question colonial practices, as the imposition of socialism by military force and political and economic pressure has failed to meet the challenge of food self-sufficiency. Proponents of socialism wanted to create a new and modern Algeria according to their own conception (one leader, one plan for tone country of 2.4 million hectares). The advent of Liberal influence in 1979 was not facilitated by the circumstances associated with the reduction in the price of oil, but some of its results were encouraging.

The peace found in 2000, after ten years of civil war, a hope had appeared but the policies initiated failed.

Here is the essence of this contribution to understand the past and better reason the present to take the best initiatives for the future.

Bendjeffal Benabdellah*

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