campesino

Campesino is a Spanish term that refers to a rural farmer or farmworker, typically someone who works small plots of land in Latin America and, to a lesser extent, in Spain and Portugal’s informal countryside. The word derives from campo, field, and commonly translates as peasant or countryman; the feminine form is campesina.

Campesinos are typically smallholders, sharecroppers, or seasonal laborers on agricultural estates. They may own or lease small plots, cultivate staple crops such as maize, beans, coffee, or sugarcane, and rely on family labor. Economic conditions vary, but campesinos often face limited access to land, credit, markets, and services, making them vulnerable to price swings and climate risks. Many live in rural communities and participate in local networks, cooperatives, and mutual-aid associations.

Historically, campesinos have been central to agrarian reform movements and rural politics in many Latin American countries. The term is frequently used in social and political discourse to designate rural poor and to emphasize collective rights, land reform, and rural development. In some contexts, campesino organizations have played key roles in labor movements, peasant unions, and indigenous or mixed communities; in others the term is used descriptively rather than politically.

In contemporary usage, the status of campesinos varies by country, with ongoing debates about land tenure, agricultural policy, infrastructure, education, and gender equality, including the role of campesinas in farm labor and leadership.