The Commanding Heights of Mexican Agriculture

Extract

V.I. Lenin, in defense of communism, often defended governmental control over the “commanding heights” of the means of production. Upon consolidation of the revolution in the 1920s, Mexican leaders wholeheartedly adopted Lenin's approach to government intervention in the economy. The revolution was driven, in part, by a widely accepted need for land reform. The revolutionaries proceeded to restructure Mexican agriculture and adopt socialistic policies which promoted centralized planning. Also, state-owned enterprises (SOE's) began to participate in everything from the production, processing, distribution and commercialization of agricultural products. In recent years, policies have changed and Mexican agriculture is currently going through a dramatic process of reformation.