Post-socialist smallholders: silence, resistance and alternatives

Abstract

The majority of the world’s smallholders live in countries that experience(d) socialism, but they largely remain invisible in agrarian studies. This special issue puts the spotlight on post-socialist smallholders, asking whether, and how, they (1) fulfil important functions in society; (2) engage in resistance (against the state or corporate actors); and (3) constitute an alternative to the industrial agri-food system. We find that post-socialist smallholders rarely confront the mainstream agri-food system head-on, but that they make a larger contribution to sustainability, community and food sovereignty than do smallholders or alternative agriculture in the “West”.