Resumo

HEWITT DE ALCANTARA, Cynthia. An Essay about the Obstacles to Rural Development in Mexico: a Retrospective and Prospective Study. Desacatos [online]. 2007, n.25, pp.79-100. ISSN 2448-5144.

This essay constitutes a reflection about the patterns of change and continuity that prevent rural development in Mexico. It starts with a brief review of the way in which many scholars defined the main rural problems during the 1960's and 1970's. Afterwards, it analyzes two major experiences in public policies, based on extremely opposite principles, which attempted to face the set of rural problems since the 1970's. Finally, it returns to the essay's guiding question: Does rural development currently face the same obstacles that were pointed out thirty or forty years ago? Which elements of old still endure in 2007? Which elements have lost relevance in view of the new challenges faced by the rural population?

Palavras-chave : rural development; food security; food policies; rural studies; rural-urban connections.