Harvesting Change: Labor and Agrarian Reform in Nicaragua, 1979-1990

One of the principal aims of the Sandinista government in Nicaragua was to end the exploitation of the rural poor. But its attempts to promote balanced economic development and redistribute agricultural resources created labor shortages that threatened the country’s economic lifeline. New employment opportunities created through agrarian reform upset the delicate balance developed in pre-revolution years to meet the labor requirements of Nicaragua’s two key crops, cotton and coffee. Laura E...