Six years of Italian land reform

Abstract

Italian Land Reform was launched in 1950 and its essential provisions were rapidly implemented during the six years stretching from 1951 to 1956. This process, however, did not come without strong opposition and controversy related to the resettlement of over half a million people. With a new bill for the provision of funds for the completion of the programme now being drafted, such controversy has flared up yet again. The present article provides a re-assessment of Land Reform at this crucial stage, and is divided into two parts. The first gives a broad picture of the achievements of Land Reform of to date, along with a glimpse of the background against which the Reform had to operate. The second attempts to show how weak much of the criticism of the Reform is and that a case can still be made out for it as a means of furthering the agricultural, economic and social progress of Italy.

JEL: Q15