The 1975 Land Reform in São Tomé and Príncipe

The 1975 Land Reform in São Tomé and Príncipe: Nationalization and State-Run Agricultural Cooperatives

Historical Context and Need for Reform

The origins of the 1975 land reform can be traced back to São Tomé and Príncipe's colonial past, which was characterized by a heavy reliance on cocoa grown on large estates known as roças. These were predominantly owned by Portuguese colonizers who exploited African slave labor and, following abolition, contract laborers known as serviçais. The plantation economy resulted in a rigid social hierarchy: whites occupied the highest positions, followed by Creole populations (Forros and Mesticos), with African laborers at the bottom.

Upon gaining independence, the MLSTP (Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe), driven by socialist ideologies, aimed to transform the economy by nationalizing land and related assets. The departure of most Portuguese colonists left the agricultural sector in limbo, necessitating state intervention to maintain productivity in a sector critical to the livelihood of over 60% of the population. The 1975 land reform aimed to redistribute wealth and power from colonial elites to the state, thus representing the interests of the people and addressing inefficiencies within the colonial plantation system.

Objectives of the 1975 Land Reform

The land reform initiated in 1975 had several key objectives that reflected the MLSTP's goals:

1. Redistribute Land and Wealth: Nationalize all land previously owned by colonial elites, transferring ownership to the state to ensure that the means of production were controlled by the government for the nation's benefit.

1. Improve Worker Conditions: Enhance the rights and living conditions of agricultural workers, who had faced exploitation under the colonial system, integrating them into state-run cooperatives.

1. Increase Agricultural Production and Efficiency: Achieve higher agricultural output by state management and planning for critical crops like cocoa in order to reduce dependency on foreign entities.

1. Promote Social Equity: Address historical inequalities by ensuring that the land, formerly owned by a small group of Portuguese colonizers, was managed collectively for the benefit of all citizens, particularly those in rural areas.

Implementation of Nationalization and Cooperatives

The implementation of the land reform involved two main actions:

1. Nationalization of All Land: Following independence, the MLSTP government declared all land to be state property. This nationalization, executed without significant compensation due to the exodus of the Portuguese, was formalized through decrees and laws passed in 1975.

1. Establishment of State-Run Agricultural Cooperatives: State-managed cooperatives were created from the large roças, intending to be collectively owned by the workers who previously worked on these lands. The government provided management support, resources, and infrastructure for these cooperatives, aiming to integrate workers into decision-making processes and ensure equitable distribution of agricultural production. The primary focus remained on cocoa, with some diversification into food crops such as bananas and breadfruit.

Workers from the former roças, many being serviçais, became cooperative members under this system, which aimed to eliminate the exploitative practices that characterized the colonial era.

Challenges and Outcomes

The establishment of state-run cooperatives encountered several challenges, resulting in mixed outcomes:

1. Lack of Skilled Management: The departure of Portuguese agricultural experts created a management vacuum, as many forros took over administrative roles but lacked the necessary training. This resulted in inefficiencies in cooperative management.

1. Corruption and Inefficiency: Neopatrimonial behaviors among the new forro elite contributed to corruption and misuse of resources, undermining the objectives of cooperative management.
2. Decline in Agricultural Production: Agricultural output, particularly cocoa, significantly declined due to the inefficiencies of the state-run cooperative system. By the mid-1980s, production had decreased to less than 1,000 tons annually, highlighting the challenges faced post-reform.
3. Social and Economic Impacts: While the land reforms aimed to improve worker conditions, many rural workers, especially serviçais and angolares, remained in poverty. By the 1990s, half the population continued to live below the poverty line, and economic stagnation persisted despite the intent to enhance productivity.

Subsequent Developments and Legacy

The difficulties encountered by the state-run cooperatives set the stage for further land reforms in the 1990s. A new land reform initiative began in 1991, supported by the World Bank and IMF, which aimed to redistribute land from the state to individual farmers, particularly targeting former agricultural workers. This included surveying and titling land, resulting in approximately 8,735 farmers receiving land titles or leases by 1995.

The legacy of the 1975 land reform continues to significantly influence São Tomé and Príncipe's agricultural sector. The 2021 Annual Report from the Central Bank notes that the agricultural sector employs about 60% of the population yet contributes only 10% to GDP, underscoring the ongoing challenges of low productivity. Efforts to promote high-value crops, like organic cocoa and coffee, alongside tourism initiatives focused on eco-tourism and historical roças, are ongoing, with varying degrees of success.