© 1998 Oxford University Press and the Foundation for the European Review of Agricultural Economics
research-article |
Does land reform matter? Some experiences from the former Soviet Union*
Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, The Hebrew University Rehovot, Israel
Received February 1, 1998;
Summary
There is still no evidence that new farming structures created in the process of land reform have achieved higher productivity than traditional farms. The most striking achievements of reform include a sharp reduction in state ownership of land and a substantial increase in the share of individual farming relative to collective agriculture. Among the rural population, independent private farmers appear to be more optimistic and economically better off than members of collective farm enterprises. This provides qualitative evidence of a positive impact of reform, as private farmers are direct participants in the process of reform, while rural residents who choose to remain in collectives largely shirk exposure to reform and continue to work within a traditional framework.
Keywords: economics in transition, land reform, farm restructing, collective farms, private farmers, rural development