Agricultural Co-operative Movement in Croatia: Development and Core Issues

Autor analizira razvoj poljoprivrednog zadrugarstva u Hrvatskoj u sto četrdeset godišnjem kontinuitetu, od osnivanja prve zadruge u Korčuli 1864. godine. Na osnovi bogate povijesne građe može se sagledati društvene i gospodarske prilike u hrvatskim selima u pojedinim povijesnim razdobljima, ali i značaj odnosno ulogu zadruga u razvoju poljoprivrede, te u razvoju ruralnog prostora u širem smislu. Počevši od pojave i razvoja prvih zadruga kao izraza samoorganiziranja nakon prodora kapitalizma koji je prouzročio koncentraciju kapitala i stvaranje moćnih trgovačkih i bankarskih institucija na jednoj, te stalno sirornašenje, zaduživanje i proletarizaciju seljaka poslije ukidanja krnetsrva, na drugoj strani. Hrvatski seljaci sami stvaraju zadrugu kao sredstvo zaštite vlastitih interesa te opstanka i razvoja gospodarstva -kako bi osigurali financijski kapital nužan za otkup posjeda i poslovanje u robno-novčanoj privredi, osnivaju štedno-kreditne zadruge, kako bi izbjegli trgovačke visoke marže i profite, utemeljuju nabavno-prodajne zadruge, te kako bi izbjegli ucjenjivanje vlasnika prehrambene industrije niskim cijenama agrarnih sirovina, stvaraju proizvodne i prerađivačke poljoprivredne zadruge. Stanje u zadrugarstvu i zadružnom pokretu li Hrvatskoj prikazano je u četiri povijesna razdoblja: do početka Prvoga svjetskog rata, između dvaju svjetskih ratova, nakon Drugoga svjetskog rata do 1990. godine, te napokon od 1990. do 2004. Iako je u svima tim povijesnim razdobljima zadrugarstvo imalo svoje uspone i padove, 1945. ono gubi izvorna načela i sadržaje. Od slobodnog i dobrovoljnog udruženja, čiji je temeljni cilj unaprjeđenje i razvitak seljačkih gospodarstava učlanjen ih u za druge, zadruga se pretvara u instituciju državnoga, potom društvenog vlasništva, instrument nasilne proletarizacije seljaka, kojoj je osnovna svrha "podruštvljavanje" poljoprivredne proizvodnje na seljačkim gospodarstvima. Budući da tranzicijski proces u zadrugama i nakon osamostaljenja Hrvatske nije proveden, autor analizira aktualno stanje u hrvatskome poljoprivrednom zadrugarstvu te predlaže glavne strategijske odrednice budućeg razvoja poljoprivrednih zadruga. Odrednice slijede potvrđene prednosti seljačkih obiteljskih gospodarstava kao glavnih nositelja poljoprivredne proizvodnje te načela zadrugarstva kao što su uzajamnost, sloboda djelovanja, pravedna raspodjela što se uspješno ugrađuju u određene oblike poduzetničkih aktivnosti.L\u27auteur analyse le développement du coopératismne agricole en Croatie au cours de sa continuité de 140 ans, depuis la constitution de la prermiére coopérative à Korcula en 1864. Sur la base de riches matériaux historiques, il est possible de comprendre les circonstances sociales et économiques dans les villages croates à certaines époques de l\u27histoire, ainsi que le rôle et l\u27importance des coopératives dans le développement de l\u27agriculture, mais aussi dans le développement de l\u27espace rural dans un sens plus large. En cornrnencant par l\u27appantion et le développement des prerniéres coopératives en tant qu\u27expression de l\u27auto-organisation aprés la percée du capitalisme qui a provoqué la concentration des capitaux et la création de puissantes institutions commerciales et bancaires, d\u27une part, et l\u27appauvrissement continuel, l\u27endettement et la prolétarisation des paysans aprés l\u27abolition du servage, d\u27autre part. Les paysans croates constituent eux-mémes la coopérative en tant que moyen de protéger leurs propres intérêts, d\u27existence et de développement des exploitations agricoles: afin d\u27assurer le capital financier nécessaire à l\u27achat de l\u27exploitation et pour traiter des affaires dans l\u27économie monétaire et de marchandises, ils fondent des coopératives d\u27épargne et de crédit; et pour éviter les marges commerciales et les profits éléves, ils instaurent des coopératives d\u27achat et de vente; puis pour éviter la pression morale des propriétaires de l\u27industrie alimentaire en vue d\u27obtenir des prix bas des matières premières agricoles, les paysans forment leurs coopératives agricoles de production et de transformation. L\u27état des choses dans le coopératisme et dans le mouvement coopératif en Croatie est pràsenté à quatre époques de I\u27histoire: jusqu\u27au début de la Premiere Guerre mondiale, entre les deux Guerres mondiales, après la Seconde Guerre mondiale jusqu\u27en 1990, et, en particulier, de 1990 à 2004. Bien qu\u27à toutes ces époques de l\u27histoire le coopératisme ait eu des hauts et des bas, en 1945 il perd ses principes d\u27origine et ses activites, D\u27une association libre et de plein gré dont l\u27objectif de base était de promouvoir et de développer les exploitations agricoles membres d\u27une coopérative, la coopérative se transforme en une institution d\u27État, puis en une propriété sociale, en un instrument de la prolétarisation forcée des paysans dont l\u27objectif principal était la socialisation de la production agricole des exploitations agricoles. Étant donné que le processus de transition dans les coopératives n\u27a pas été réalisé ni après I\u27indépendance de la Croatie, l\u27auteur analyse l\u27état des choses actuel dans le coopératisme agricole croate, et il pro lO pose les principaux points d\u27orientation stratégiques du futur développement des coopératives QI agricoles. Ces points d\u27orientation suivent les avantages confirmés des exploitations agricoles familiales en tant que principaux représentants de la production agricole, et les principes du coo-pératisme tels que la réciprocité, la llberté d\u27action, la répartition équitable, lesquels s\u27introduisent avec succès dans les formes concrètes des activités des entrepreneurs.The author analyses the development of agricultural co-operatives in Croatia during an uninterrupted period of hundred and forty years, starting with the founding of the first co-operative in Korčula in 1864. Economical and social conditions in Croatian villages, during specific historical periods, as well as the impact and the role of co-operatives in agricultural development, and the development of the rural areas per se may be examined based on rich historical materials. Starting with the creation and the development of the first co-operatives as an expression of self organization following the appearance of capitalism which induced a concentration of capital and the establishment of powerful trade and bank institutions on one side and the constant impoverishment, indebtedness, and proletarisation of the farmers, after the abolition of serfdom on the other side. The Croatian peasants start co-operatives on their own as a mean of protection of their interests, the survival and the development of their holdings: in order to ensure the financial capital necessary for the purchase of holdings and the transactions in the merchant-monetary economy they establish mutual credit and saving co-operatives, and in order to evade high trade margins and profits, they create purchasing and consumer co-operatives. In order to avoid the blackmail of the food industry owners and their low prices for the agricultural raw goods, they form manufacturing and processing agricultural co-operatives. The situation in the co-operative movement in Croatia is demonstrated through four historical periods: up to the beginning of the First World War, in between the two World Wars, after the second World War to 1990, and from 1990. to 2004. Although during all of these historical periods co-operatives went through rises and falls, in 1945 they lost their original principles and content. The co-operative transforms from free and voluntary co-operation, based on the improvement and the development of farming estates united in a co-operatives, first to a state and later to a social institution, acting as an instrument for coerced proletarisation of the farmers, having as its main purpose "the socialization« of the agricultural production in the farming holdings. Since the transitional process in co-operatives has not been undertaken even after the independence of Croatia, the author is analyzing the current state of the Croatian agricultural co-operatives, and is proposing the main strategic guidelines for the future development of the agricultural co-operatives. The guidelines are based on the well known advantages of the family farming holdings as main actors in the agricultural production and the principles of co-operation such as reciprocity, freedom of action, fair distribution that are successfully integrated in concrete forms of entrepreneurial activities