Agricultural Production and Ecological Degradation in a Faith Village: Possibilities of Resistance

Abstract

One of the most debated aspects of the relationship between peasantry and capitalism is petty commodity production. This concept explains how peasants, despite owning their means of production, do not become capitalists nor proletarians while utilizing their own labor. In the 21st century, "peasantry" has undergone transformations that cannot be explained solely through this concept. Undoubtedly, the penetration of global capital into every corner of the world has played a significant role in this transformation. The cultural characteristics of villages also interact with this transformation. To understand this, we question the relationship between belief and production, drawing on findings from an ethnographic field study conducted in September 2023 in the village of Tekke, located in the Elmalı district of Antalya, Turkey. This relationship connects on one end to the possibilities of sustaining the existence of peasantry (strategy/resistance) and thus to capitalism, and on the other end to water scarcity, and therefore the "climate crisis." Our research focuses on how such a broad yet inseparable network of relationships leads to change/transformation in the village and what potential it holds for the future. From this perspective, we argue that the actions and practices of the people of Tekke village—whether consciously or unconsciously—offer a unique example of resistance against the ecological degradation accompanying rampant capitalism and the market conditions that, through neoliberal policies, leave agriculture to its own "misery." We further claim that these strategies could constitute a potential field of resistance.

Keywords: petty commodity production, peasantry, capitalism, ecological degradation, Bektashism