Proponents of large-scale industrial agriculture, notably the World Bank, argue that it will reduce poverty and provide jobs. They also argue that increased efficiency in agriculture is a necessary feature of the "agrarian transition" signalled by the movement of workers from farm to factory, and from country to city. This paper challenges these arguments, drawing from experience of colonial and contemporary Indonesia, and highlights the precarious position of people whose labour is not needed by the capitalist system, either on or off farm.
Keywords: Land, labour, agrarian transition, jobless growth, Indonesia, World Bank