Evaluation of the contribution of agricultural cooperatives to the construction of six national irrigation systems during the period 1926-1936

Abstract

This article describes a good part of the scientific, technological and social processes that demanded the construction of the architectural and social infrastructure of the National Irrigatión Systems during the decade between 1926 and 1936. It is a huge effort of technological and social innovation that required the participation of both North American and national engineering. In the case of the latter, it represents a colosal challenge and, at the same time, a great opportunity for advancement in technical specialization.

Likewise, in this work it is revealed that next to the imposing hidraulic work of the National Irrigation Systems, the federal government promoted the agricultural cooperativism as an ideal form of social organization withing these systems with the purpose of carrying out the agrarian distribution and the modernization of agriculture at regional and national level.

The cooperative proposal that the State sought to apply in the National Irrigation Systems was supported by previous work on legislation in the matter, which granted legal status to the cooperative associations. Similary, it was encouraged by the recognition of the archievements of cooperative societies in various regions of the country and by access to information from other countries. Regrettably, the government stimulus did not have an opportunity over time and, despite the positive results obteined, itr was not possible to achieve the full consolidation of these self-managing experiences.