Does Land Reform Matter? Some Experiences from the Former Soviet Union

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. Copyright 1998 by Oxford University Press.