The Death of Ramon Gonzalez and the 21st Century Dilemma

ought to Cancun. At this writing, the WTO and allied organizations are still back at the
drawing board trying to formulate a new foundation for a consensus on global economic
relationships. The program of the WTO, in whatever form it may be refashioned,
involves serious issues that affect not only agriculture but industry and finance; not only
rural life, but the life of those of us who live in cities; not only the economy, but politics,
culture, and nature.
As we re-examine the issues involved in the death of Ramon Gonzalez, we will
see that they are best understood as part of these overarching battles over the future of the
world economy and the shape of our lives. We will see again that developments in
agriculture and in rural life in Mexico make a very useful starting point for thinking about
these larger issues. Points in the brief summary here are developed below.
A Quick Summary
In almost all nations farm families have continued to leave their home
communities and the countryside. In Mexico, farm abandonment has accelerated
dramatically. In Mexico, and in most of the world including the United States, the
economic and social gap between rich and poor has widened significantly. iv The
connections between social inequalities and environmental damage are at least as strong
as they were at the original writing of The Death of Ramon Gonzalez. The
environmental damage done by chemical-based agricultural technologies has become
better understood and more widespread. We know much more about how seriously
pesticides harm people and nature. We also have better comprehension of the damage
done by pesticides and chemical fertilizers to regional ecosystems and the planetary
ecosystem.