Rural microenterprise development in an era of agricultural restructuring: A study of Mexican peasant communities

This thesis explores the appropriateness of rural microenterprise development as a means of mitigating the negative effects of agricultural restructuring on Mexican peasants. The analysis is based on field-research in several rural communities in Yucatan and Campeche, involving 75 household interviews and case studies of three local NGOs. The research reveals that microenterprise is a preferred strategy for rural households in coping with a declining standard of living. Findings indicate that microenterprise is most effective as a complement, rather than an alternative, to farming activities. Microenterprises in the communities studied are generally operating below potential, due to lack of working and investment capital, marketing difficulties, and lack of business management skills. NGOs have a valuable role to play in enabling rural microentrepreneurs to overcome these barriers. The research highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between rural microenterprise and peasant agriculture in designing development interventions for such settings.