THE VIEW FROM BELOW - CUBAN AGRICULTURE IN THE SPECIAL PERIOD IN PEACETIME

This article examines the changes taking place in Cuban agriculture at the local level as a result of the demise of the socialist trading bl oc and Cuba's subsequent economic crisis. Based on fieldwork in three municipalities of Cuba, the authors describe new developments in each of the three main sectors of Cuban agriculture: state farms, productio n co-operatives and individual peasant producers. They conclude that t he dominant trend of this period is the tendency toward decentralisati on of the state farm sector - culminating in the historic September 19 93 decision to form production co-operatives on the state farms - coun terpoised to renewed attempts to impose greater state control over pea sant producers. Overall, they find a good deal of experimentation and heterogeneity in the actual implementation of state policy at the loca l level.