Like small farmers in Canada today, peasants have always suffered from bad press, often considered unproductive, synonymous with poverty, and forced to give way to more ‘efficient’ farmers. Historian Jim Handy shows that in fact, peasants have always been the most efficient producers, using the scarce resources available most effectively. He suggests that even in the face of almost constant persecution and repression, peasant communities provided numerous benefits and a livelihood that was often surprisingly abundant.
Handy’s exploration looks into the details of historical peasant productivity and repression with case studies from England in the late 18 th century to Kerala in the late 20th century. His research suggests we can ask new questions and keep learning from these stories today.
Jim Handy is a Professor of History at the University of Saskatchewan, where he has taught for 36 years. The winner of numerous teaching awards, he is the author of more than 50 articles and chapters and five books. Apostles of Inequality: Rural Poverty, Political Economy and the Economist, 1760-1860 (University of Toronto Press) and Tiny Engines of Abundance: A History of Peasant Productivity and Repression (Fernwood) were both published in 2022.
