Introduction: Smallholders and the Non-Farm Rural Economy

Abstract

The introduction explores the drivers of agricultural displacement in Latin America and concludes that government and non-profit support is essential to help small farmers transition to a profitable alternative in the non-farm sector. Due to such factors as limits in arable land, globalization, increased mechanization, and rising land consolidation, agricultural displacement is occurring at rapid rates across the region, leading to increased rates of urbanization as well as diversification in to the non-farm sector. In order to ensure that this transition does not lead to greater poverty and inequality, government support is needed to help small farmers access more profitable jobs within the non-farm sector.