AGRICULTURAL ADAPTATIONS IN A BAS-LANGUEDOC VILLAGE 4Y ROEL PUIJK UniVmity a/ Bergen, Nmay INTRODUCTION How non-capitalist forms of production have survived and sometimes even strengthened their position, despite the general growth of capitalism, has been a central question over the last decade. Both in developed and underdeveloped regions capitalist and other forms of production co-exist, with no sign of the former eliminating the latter. The progression from a non-capitalist to a capitalist form of production can actually be inhibited by the capitalist system. Non-capitalist forms of production do not exist in spite of, but because of capitalist forms. In the developed world non-capitalist forms of production are found most notably in agriculture. Here family holdings have not only con- tinued to exist, but in the last 100 years or so, have actually strengthened their position. The lack of capitalist enterprises, based on production for profit with the use of agricultural labourers, has been explained in a number of ways. Servolin (1972, p. 65-70) mentions two barriers inhibiting the direct penetration of capitalist forms of production in agriculture. First he points out that land is a natural element and not capital. Competition with family holders, willing to pay exceptional prices when they feel the need to expand their holdings, makes it difficult for the “modern” investor to realize a normal profit on both his productive capital and the sum spent on land. Secondly Servolin underlines the nature of the agricultural labour process. As production is through biological processes, it is still essentially a craft. This, according to Servolin, inhibits the division of labour and complex co-operation, as in industry. According to Vergopoulos (1974, pp. 206-219) two factors, the relative scarcity of land and the law of diminishing returns, together have the potential to create a monopoly in agriculture which, if un- checked, would result in a transfer of economic surplus from the urban Sociologia Ruralis. 1984. Vol. XXIV-2