Level of Playing Fields and Laissez Faire: Postliberal Development Strategy in Inegalitarian Agrarian Economies
Author(s)
Carter, Michael R.; Barham, Bradford L.
Abstract
Focusing on the rural sector in Latin America, this paper explores the microeconomic linkages between distribution and growth which drive the possible reproduction of rural poverty over time. The result of this exploration is a neostructuralist perspective which argues that actually existing laissez faire agrarian economies do not present a level playing field, and that low wealth farms face disadvantages which tend to reproduce or even deepen sectoral inequality. The paper then tries to identify the sorts of public policy and collective action which might modify the nature of growth and distribution in post-liberalization agrarian market economy.
