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Experience in many countries demonstrates that without a clear land policy, it will be difficult or impossible to reduce deep-rooted structural poverty and inequality. The objective of the paper is to investigate the size of family farms in Moldova and other countries in the context of the development economics. In this context, the major factors that determine the farm size are analyzed: placement, inequality of income, average area per 1 inhabitant, and GDP per 1 inhabitant. It has been established that the average farm size is determined basically by the level of development of the countries: the most developed countries have larger farms then developing countries. Also, the topics of land concentration and the duality of farm structure have been investigated. “Medium-sized” family farms, the backbone of any market agriculture, virtually do not exist in Moldova. Moldovan agriculture is characterized by a much greater concentration of land in large farms than agriculture in market economies. Building on a wide array of research and experience, this paper lays out the main dimensions of the issue and illustrates how they can help to develop an approach to land policy that fits into more general strategies for poverty reduction.
