The role of crop diversity in escape agriculture; rice cultivation among Maroon communities in Suriname

Societal Impact StatementAgricultural techniques are inherently connected to social organization. Under colonialism, broadly understood as foreign powers suppressing (parts of) a local population, escape agriculture offers a way to avoid despotism by producing food and other produce in independent and sustainable ways. Crop diversity plays an important role in escape agriculture, demonstrated here by the variation of rice varieties on Maroon farms in Suriname. Histories of Maroon agricultural practices, and similarly marginalized groups in (formerly) colonized regions, are informative for current interventions in agriculture. Agronomic support to marginalized groups will only be successful when addressing historically grown social disengagement.SummaryRationale: Food is essential for successful marronage and produced by means of escape agriculture. Today, communities in the interior of Suriname continue to farm by following practices of escape agriculture. Our study traces the historical development of these farming practices, in particular the extensive cultivation of rice. Our aim is to show that the diversity of rice varieties used in their fields reveals the sophisticated farming techniques and social significance of escape agriculture.Methods: We visited about 60 farm plots upstream the main rivers of Suriname where we interviewed the person in charge about the rice varieties grown in their fields. We asked about origin, names, and characteristics of each rice variety. We also screened historical sources, primary and secondary, as well as anthropological accounts of these communities for historical evidence of rice cultivation and varietal diversity.Results: Plots were farmed primarily by women and contained a broad range of different rice varieties. Naming and origin stories show a clear reference to the escape from plantations and the leading role of women in farming and food security. In some fields, a small patch was reserved for a rice type with very dark grains, used mostly for ritual purposes. Results also show adoption of more recently introduced rice varieties.Conclusion: Rice plays a key role in escape agriculture as practiced by Maroon communities in Suriname. Rice varieties are used as agricultural markers of difference. Landbouwtechnieken zijn inherent verbonden met sociale organisatie. In gekoloniseerde gebieden en vergelijkbare situaties van onderdrukking, ontvluchten gemarginaliseerde groepen de repressie middels schuillandbouw. Gewasdiversiteit en diversiteit van gewasvarieteiten spelen een belangrijke rol in schuillandbouw, in dit artikel aangetoond middels de rijstvarieteiten die Marrons verbouwen in Suriname. De geschiedenis van Marronlandbouw en vergelijkbare gemarginaliseerde groepen in (voormalige) kolonien zijn informatief voor hedendaagse interventies in de landbouw. Agronomische steun aan gemarginaliseerde groepen zal alleen succesvol zijn wanneer historisch gegroeide tegenstellingen tussen samenlevingen worden erkend. Agricultural techniques are inherently connected to social organization. Under colonialism, broadly understood as foreign powers suppressing (parts of) a local population, escape agriculture offers a way to avoid despotism by producing food and other produce in independent and sustainable ways. Crop diversity plays an important role in escape agriculture, demonstrated here by the variation of rice varieties on Maroon farms in Suriname. Histories of Maroon agricultural practices, and similarly marginalized groups in (formerly) colonized regions, are informative for current interventions in agriculture. Agronomic support to marginalized groups will only be successful when addressing historically grown social disengagement.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the importance of crop diversity in escape agriculture through the variation of rice varieties on Maroon farms in Suriname. The agricultural practices of Maroon communities and other marginalized groups in former colonies provide informative insights for interventions in agriculture. Agronomic support to marginalized groups should address historically grown social disengagement to be successful.