Many Shades of Red: State Policy and Collective Agriculture

(Paperback)

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Description

This volume provides a radical and timely corrective to received wisdom about the seemingly inevitable transition from communism to democratic capitalism. Arguing against popular misconceptions that portray collectivized agriculture as an unqualified failure that followed a monolithic Soviet model, the contributors draw upon newly available local sources to illuminate the costs, benefits, successes, and failures of cooperative agriculture. They highlight the wide variety of state policies, local responses, and economic outcomes, as well as the influence of local geography, political structures, and economic institutions in each region. Meurs provides an institutionalist analysis of both the causes and impacts of policy differences, drawing lessons of continuing relevance to the many countries in which agrarian reform remains a controversial issue.

Contributions by: Victor Danilov, Carmen Diana Deere, Stanka Dobreva, Veska Kouzhouharova, Imre Kovach, Justin Lin, Mieke Meurs, and Niurka Perez.

Reviews

The volume succeeds brilliantly in showing the diverse experiences with collective agriculture. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in agricultural policy, and for scholars and practitioners of rural development. * Eastern Economic Journal *
I found many interesting ideas and materials in this collection. -- Frederic L. Pryor, Swarthmore College * Slavic Review *

Author Bio

Mieke Meurs is associate professor of economics at American University.