During the mid-twentieth century, in a context of violence and power imbalances, agro-industries emerged as a new central actor in the rural areas of Colombia, transforming the hacienda-based structure of land tenure, and revealing local expressions of global knowledge dynamics within campesino's labor practices and landscapes. Through the case of tobacco production in Santander, I will present how the tobacco industry institutionalized a scientific knowledge regime in which campesino's land and production practices were framed as cheap and underdeveloped, legitimizing both chemical interventions in the environment and the intensification of control over daily labor. At the same time, campesino’s tobacco production in Santander expanded unprecedentedly during the 1960s, highlighting a fluid relationship between industries, landscapes, and communities. I will argue that land tenure among tobacco growers in Santander indicates the consolidation of an industrial regime in rural Colombia, where campesino communities and regional environments were shaped and managed by scientific paradigms, institutions, and agents. The rise of tobacco producers across the region, the increased use and specialization of chemical knowledge, and the expansion of industrial infrastructure across Santander contributed to the transformation of rural landscapes and labor systems. This moment marks a pivotal moment in the intensification, comprehension and legitimation of “scientific” uses, institutions and rights associated with campesinos and the land.
See more of: AHA Sessions