Rural Reconstruction Association
Encyclopedia
The Rural Reconstruction Association (RRA) was a British
agricultural reform movement established in 1926 with Montague Fordham
as its Council Secretary, a post he held for 20 years.
Influenced by the ideas of guild socialism
, the RRA sought for a time the creation of a National Agricultural Guild with land ownership held by land councils who would operate as local sections of the Guild. Its main consistent aims however were to revive agriculture
and to decentralise the population of Britain. It sought to standarise prices and produce grading, regulate imports and encourage more of a balance between agriculture and industry which, it argued, would benefit both sectors by ending over reliance on manufacturing. As such, the Agricultural Marketing Act 1931, Wheat Act 1932 and Agricultural Marketing Act 1933, all of which moved towards protectionism
in agriculture were seen by the RRA as a vindication of their arguments.
Their 1936 document The Revival of Agriculture attacked modern economics whilst praising what they saw as the more realistic approach of Elizabethan times, where financiers were servants of producers rather than masters. They argued that this system could be returned by controlling imports and so allowing domestic agricultural produce to reach a higher value. This would mean that banks would be more prepared to advance loans to farmers and would lead to the creation of a system of agricultural credit banks. A revived agricultural sector was also presented as being central to national well-being as it would encourage fresh organic produce.
The group grew close to the Economic Reform Club and Institute in the 1940s and with the ECRI it produced, between 1944 and 1956, a journal dedicated to the reform of the rural economy edited by Jorian Jenks
. Jenks Rural Economy journal proved the focus point for fascist
sympathies wthin the movement as Jenks, a former member of the British Union of Fascists
, was close to the Union Movement
.
The group enjoyed the support of some leading British figures as Sir George Stapledon
and Lord Lymington
were amongst the members of its board whilst Lord O'Hagan
served as President of the movement for a time.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
agricultural reform movement established in 1926 with Montague Fordham
Montague Fordham
Montague Edward Fordham was an English agriculturalist and advocate of rural reform. He belonged to the Religious Society of Friends....
as its Council Secretary, a post he held for 20 years.
Influenced by the ideas of guild socialism
Guild socialism
Guild socialism is a political movement advocating workers' control of industry through the medium of trade-related guilds. It originated in the United Kingdom and was at its most influential in the first quarter of the 20th century. It was strongly associated with G. D. H...
, the RRA sought for a time the creation of a National Agricultural Guild with land ownership held by land councils who would operate as local sections of the Guild. Its main consistent aims however were to revive agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and to decentralise the population of Britain. It sought to standarise prices and produce grading, regulate imports and encourage more of a balance between agriculture and industry which, it argued, would benefit both sectors by ending over reliance on manufacturing. As such, the Agricultural Marketing Act 1931, Wheat Act 1932 and Agricultural Marketing Act 1933, all of which moved towards protectionism
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
in agriculture were seen by the RRA as a vindication of their arguments.
Their 1936 document The Revival of Agriculture attacked modern economics whilst praising what they saw as the more realistic approach of Elizabethan times, where financiers were servants of producers rather than masters. They argued that this system could be returned by controlling imports and so allowing domestic agricultural produce to reach a higher value. This would mean that banks would be more prepared to advance loans to farmers and would lead to the creation of a system of agricultural credit banks. A revived agricultural sector was also presented as being central to national well-being as it would encourage fresh organic produce.
The group grew close to the Economic Reform Club and Institute in the 1940s and with the ECRI it produced, between 1944 and 1956, a journal dedicated to the reform of the rural economy edited by Jorian Jenks
Jorian Jenks
Jorian Edward Forwood Jenks was an English farmer, environmentalism pioneer and fascist. He has been described as "one of the most dominant figures in the development of the organic movement".-Early life:...
. Jenks Rural Economy journal proved the focus point for fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
sympathies wthin the movement as Jenks, a former member of the British Union of Fascists
British Union of Fascists
The British Union was a political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1932 by Sir Oswald Mosley as the British Union of Fascists, in 1936 it changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists and then in 1937 to simply the British Union...
, was close to the Union Movement
Union Movement
The Union Movement was a right-wing political party founded in Britain by Oswald Mosley. Where Mosley had previously been associated with a peculiarly British form of fascism, the Union Movement attempted to redefine the concept by stressing the importance of developing a European nationalism...
.
The group enjoyed the support of some leading British figures as Sir George Stapledon
George Stapledon
Sir Reginald George Stapledon FRS was an English grassland scientist and pioneer environmentalist.-Early life:...
and Lord Lymington
Gerard Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth
Gerard Vernon Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth , styled Viscount Lymington from 1925 until 1943, was a British landowner, writer on agricultural topics, and politician.-Early life:...
were amongst the members of its board whilst Lord O'Hagan
Maurice Towneley-O'Hagan, 3rd Baron O'Hagan
Maurice Herbert Towneley Towneley-O'Hagan, 3rd Baron O'Hagan , was a British Liberal and later Conservative politician....
served as President of the movement for a time.