The Agrarian Question and the Neoliberal Rural Transformation in Latin America

Summary

This political economy analysis examines how neoliberal policies have transformed rural Latin America through corporate consolidation of agriculture, precarious labour conditions, and peasant proletarianisation. The author critiques conventional 'new rurality' and 'territorial' approaches as insufficient, and instead argues for a political economy lens that recognises counter-movements by indigenous peoples and peasant organisations (notably Via Campesina) pursuing alternative agrarian systems centred on food sovereignty. The work positions food sovereignty as both a promising but contested response to capitalist agricultural integration.

Regional applicability

This analysis is specific to Latin American agrarian structures and neoliberal policy contexts, which differ substantially from United Kingdom agricultural policy frameworks (which operate within EU/post-Brexit regulatory regimes). However, the underlying political economy perspective on agroindustrial consolidation, precarious rural labour, and food sovereignty discourse may offer comparative insights for UK policy discussions around agricultural restructuring and alternative food systems.

Key measures

Qualitative assessment of rural labour conditions, peasant income strategies, agroindustrial consolidation, and food sovereignty movements; comparison of theoretical frameworks for analysing agrarian change.

Outcomes reported

The paper analyses rural economic and social transformations in Latin America since neoliberal reforms, documenting shifts in labour relations, peasant livelihoods, and emerging counter-movements for food sovereignty. It evaluates theoretical approaches to understanding agrarian change and assesses the potential of alternative food systems based on peasant organisation.

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