Die neoliberale Agrargesetzgebung in México, 1992-2005[Unforeseen effects of the agrarian legislation in Mexico, 1992-2005]

Under the pressure of NAFTA negotiations Mexican government changed the agrarian legislation at the beginning of the 1990. This reform meant turning away from the former leitmotiv of social justice brought up in the revolution towards the neoliberal paradigm of economic efficiency. The old system of subsedies and and institutional support was replaced by a market- and export orientation, the priority of community land was replaced by the primacy of private property rights in order to capitalize the Mexican agriculture. This paper analyses whether the goals of increasing productivity and changing the production structure where achieved. There are three basic outcomes from the reforms: small scale farmers have los market shares and depend on non-agricultural incomes. Secondly, the trading of land is marginal, as export goods are produced on a small share of productive land and the agricultural corporations have many alternative to the purchase Hof land. The capitalization of agricultural enterprises has also been minimal. These results cause a regional concentration of agricultural corporations and lead to a further marginalization Hof small scale farmers.