latifundia

Latifundia are large landed estates that cover extensive tracts of land and are owned by a relatively small number of proprietors. The term is used primarily in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula to describe a form of agrarian structure in which landholdings are highly concentrated and the estate operates with labor drawn from outside its borders, often under wage labor, sharecropping, or peonage. The word derives from Latin latifundium, literally “broad farming” (plural latifundia).

Historically, latifundia have roots in the Roman latifundia and became prominent in the Americas after European colonization, when indigenous lands were seized or granted to colonial elites and religious institutions. They expanded under the hacienda system and were tied to the production of export-oriented crops such as sugar, cacao, coffee, tobacco, and cattle. Landowners typically wielded substantial political influence, while many rural workers faced insecure livelihoods and limited economic mobility.

In economic terms, latifundia are associated with concentrated land ownership and, in some cases, underutilized or monocultural land use. Critics argue they hinder peasant rural development and contribute to rural inequality and social tension; supporters sometimes point to economies of scale and regional employment.

From the 20th century onward, agrarian reform in several countries sought to dismantle latifundia by redistributing land to peasant communities or creating collective farming arrangements. Yet large estates persist in various forms, including commercial plantations and ranches, often adapting to modern markets.