UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Le travail agricole rural en milieux Wolofs et Sérères du Sénégal de 1819 à 1960 Faye, V. Publication date 2016 Document Version Final published version Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Faye, V. (2016). Le travail agricole rural en milieux Wolofs et Sérères du Sénégal de 1819 à 1960. General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (https://dare.uva.nl) Download date:10 Oct 2021 LE TRAVAIL AGRICOLE RURAL EN MILIEUX WOLOFS ET SERERES DU SENEGAL DE 1819 à 1960 ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam op gezag van de Rector Magnificus Mw. Prof. Dr. Ir. K.I.J. Maex ten overstaan van een door het College voor Promoties ingestelde commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Agnietenkapel op donderdag 15 december 2016, te 16.00 uur door Valy Faye geboren te Gniby, Senegal 1 Promotiecommissie: Promotor: Prof. Dr. M.M. van der Linden, Universiteit van Amsterdam Copromotor: Prof. Dr. B. Fall, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar Overige leden: Dr. S. Bellucci, Universiteit Leiden Prof. Dr. M.E. de Bruijn, Universiteit Leiden Prof. Dr. E.A. Buettner, Universiteit van Amsterdam Prof. Dr. P.L. Geschiere, Universiteit van Amsterdam Prof. Dr. H.W. van Schendel, Universiteit van Amsterdam Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen 2 ABRÉVIATIONS ET SIGLES AIR Association d’intérêt rural ANS Archives nationales du Sénégal AOF Afrique occidentale française AT Agronomie tropicale BAO Banque de l’Afrique occidentale BCEHS Bulletin du comité d’études historiques et scientifiques BDS Bloc démocratique sénégalais BEA Bloc expérimental de l’arachide BFA Banque française d’Afrique BIFAN Bulletin de l’institut fondamental d’Afrique noire BSD Banque sénégalaise de Développement CCFM Caisse centrale de la France d’outremer CER Centre d’expansion rurale CFA Communauté financière Africain CFAO Compagnie française de l’Afrique occidentale CODESRIA Conseil pour le développement de la recherche économique et sociale en Afrique CRA Centre de recherche agricole CRAD Centre régional d’assistance pour le développement CRACS Comptes rendus des séances de l’académie Coloniale des sciences CRDS Centre de recherches et de documentation du Sénégal DM Dépêche ministérielle ENCOOP Entente Coopérative FERDES Fonds d’équipement rural pour le développement économique et social FIDES Fonds d’Investissement pour le développement économique et social IAC Institut d’agronomie coloniale IGN Institut géographique national JOS Journal officiel du Sénégal MAS Mission d’aménagement du fleuve Sénégal MER Ministère d’économie rurale MFOM Ministère de la France d’outremer MNHN Muséum national d’histoire naturel NEA Nouvelles éditions africaines 3 NPA Nouvelle Politique agricole OCA Office de commercialisation agricole ONCAD Office national de coopération et d’assistance au développement ONU Organisation des nations unies ORSTOM Office de recherche scientifique et technique d’outremer RIBAAT Revue internationale de botanique appliquée et d’agriculture tropicale SCOA Société commerciale ouest africaine SEGMC Société d’études géographiques maritimes et coloniales SEMA Secteur expérimental de modernisation agricole SFIO Section française de l’internationale ouvrière SIP Société Indigène de prévoyance SMDR Société mutuelle du développement rural SMPR Société mutuelle pour la Production rurale SP Société de prévoyance TOM Territoire d’Outre-mer UCA Unité de Culture attelée UCAD Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar 4 SUMMARY: Rural farm work in the Wolof and Serer areas of Senegal from 1819 to 1960 The main objective of this study is to analyze the transition from self-subsistence farming to market farming in Wolof and Serer areas of Senegal. In other respects, it aims to fill the paucity of work on the history of farm labor in Senegalese historiography. Wolof and Serer areas are composed of ancient kingdoms such Djolof, Walo, Cayor, Baol, Sine and Saloum. Together, Wolof and Serer constitute the majority of the Senegalese population, although they live with other minority ethnic groups. The results of the present work come from cross- referencing information from archives, bibliographic and oral sources; they revolve around two major parts including two chapters defined as follows: Part One focuses on the integration process of the peanut economy in Wolof and Serer areas (1819-1929) while Part Two attempts to analyze the working conditions of Wolof and Serer farmers as stakeholders in, and subordinates of, the peanut business, from the outbreak of the 1929 crisis to the independence of Senegal in 1960. With regards to the First Chapter in Part One;following the abolition of the slave trade, France was deprived of the tropical products it received from its colonies in America. It tried to experiment growing these tropical plants in the Walo region in 1819 because the trade of gum alone did not offset the huge profits from the slave trade. The situation worsened because France’s need for farmed tropical products increased due to the birth of the new industry and America which were no longer providing these products. Pioneered in 1819 by governor Schmaltz, agricultural colonization was continued by Baron Roger between 1822 and 1827. Roger relied on, among other things, controlling the climatic environment, the acclimation of foreign plants, the improvement of farming methods and the popularization of agriculture. However, after seven years the attempts to grow imported tropical plants in Senegal failed due to the hostility of the natural environment, the insecurity posed by neighboring people, the lack of a workforce, differences in people’s understanding of land tenure and the lack of commercial involvement. Taking these factors into account, the Baron Roger Governor suggested to the French government and commerce to experiment growing the groundnut, a plant originating from America which has been cultivated in Senegal since the 16th century. The Government, commercial bourgeoisie and native populations set their hearts on Wolof and Serer areas after finally agreeing on the cultivation of the groundnut. 5 These areas were chosen based on their favorable physical conditions and on the sociological bases of Wolof and Serer ethnic groups. At the environmental level, the duration and quantity of rainfall, the quality of the soil, the hydrological conditions and the diversity of the vegetation suited the needs of the groundnut. At the human level, Serer and Wolof were key protagonists in this new agricultural policy, with remarkable farming traditions characterized by well established land tenure, solidarity in their work spirit and agricultural techniques that suited the environment. Yet, Serer and Wolof countries were undermined by the insecurity inherent in the violence and plundering of the aristocracy, wars between kingdoms and troubles of succession. The colony had to establish peace and security in order to allow farmers to devote themselves to agricultural activities and commerce, with complete peace of mind. It is in this context that the conquest in 1885 and 1887 of Wolof and Serer regions must be placed. As soon as resistances were eradicated and the French conquest successful, the colony went on to be exploited by colonial rule. The second period of Part One goes from 1885, a year which marks the conquest of Cayor and the start of the exploitation of the Dakar-Saint Louis railway, to the beginning of the world economic crisis in 1929. It was characterized by disruptions in farming with the start of groundnut cultivation. To deal with its needs in oil-production, France organized agricultural production. This was done through the development of transport infrastructures with the construction of the railways― Dakar-Saint-Louis (1875-1885), Thies-Kayes (1907-1923), Diourbel-Touba (1930-1931) and Louga-Linguere (1927-1931), the improvement of the sailing in the Saloum River (1890-1929) – and the installation of the road network. It also organized agricultural marketing by regulating trade (“traite”). The private sector also played its part, consisting of big international firms, small European and Syrian-Libyan commerce as well as African traders. However, agricultural production which was mainly based on expanding land areas depended on Wolof and Serer farmers and the extra seasonal foreign workforce called Navétane. Agricultural production had, on the whole, expanded in area by 8.8% between 1885 and 1914, although there were regional disparities. Thus, Cayor and Sine rapidly expanded while southern Saloum (Rip and Pakala Mandakh) continued as a subsistence economy due to its hemmed-in position. Agricultural production was