campesinos

Campesinos are rural inhabitants in Spanish-speaking regions whose livelihoods are tied to land and agricultural work. The term usually refers to smallholders, tenant farmers, seasonal laborers, and others connected to family-based farming systems. While not a precise legal category, campesino is often used to describe a social and economic identity centered on the countryside and the cultivation of crops for subsistence and market.

The word derives from campo, field, and in many countries carries political and cultural associations with agrarian life. In Latin America and parts of Spain it commonly denotes people who own or cultivate small plots, work on larger estates as laborers, or participate in land-reform and rural-development projects. The exact meaning can vary by country and historical period.

Historically, campesinos have been central to agricultural production and to debates over land tenure, reform, and rural development. Government policies, market forces, and migration have shaped their livelihoods, with many communities transitioning between subsistence farming and commercial agriculture. Rural organizations and cooperatives have sometimes organized campesinos to defend land rights, improve productivity, and influence policy.

Today, campesinos face challenges such as secure access to land, credit, infrastructure, and favorable markets; vulnerability to climate change and price volatility; and ongoing rural-urban migration. Despite these pressures, campesino communities remain a major part of food production and rural culture in many regions, often maintaining traditional practices while adopting new farming methods and cooperative models.