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At the end of the 1980s, most agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean shared the following features: an over-protected agricultural sector; strong intervention from the state; excessive regulations and obstacles to interactions with other economic agents; a static land market; and a bimodal type of productive organization, i.e. a few powerful economic units and a large mass of smallholder producers. During recent years, in the context of economic and political liberalization, analyses and public debate on agriculture in developing countries have explored new trends that include a broader view of the role of agriculture, a change in strategies and a new conception of the interactions among markets, state and civil society. The task of transforming the cluster of state institutions in the rural sector has been very significant. Although some important progress has been made, governments still have a long way to go and there is a lack of institutional answers to the demands and needs of less well-endowed producers. This article reflects on the issues of rural institutions and their reconstruction [author]
