campesinado

Campesinado is a term used to describe the social category of peasants in rural areas, particularly in Latin America and parts of the Iberian world. It refers to smallholder farmers, tenants, and agricultural laborers who depend on land for their livelihoods. The concept often implies a rural, family-based mode of production and can carry a sense of shared community, culture, and local identity.

Historically, the campesinado has played a central role in agrarian transformations and land reform efforts. Across various countries, peasant communities have mobilized around issues such as access to land, fair tenancy relations, and public investment in rural infrastructure. The term is frequently used in scholarship to discuss the political and social dynamics of rural areas, including peasant organizations, protests, and reformist movements that sought to redefine land tenure and agricultural policy.

Economic and social characteristics commonly associated with the campesinado include small plots or fragmented landholdings, family labor, and a reliance on weather and seasonality. Tenure arrangements can be insecure, with limited access to credit, markets, and formal state support. Rural communities identified as campesino often maintain distinctive cultural practices, social networks, and informal local governance structures that influence village life and decision-making.

In contemporary usage, campesinado remains a descriptive and sometimes politicized label. Its exact meaning varies by country and context, reflecting different histories of land ownership, rural development, and state policy. The concept continues to be relevant for discussions of rural poverty, migration, land rights, and agrarian reform within Latin America and related regions.