Substantial theoretical and policy debate in the 1990s led to an excessive focus on de-collectivisation and individualisation of land rights through privatisation across the former communist bloc. As a result little attention was paid to the variety of forms of cooperation emerging at the local level and the nature of their collaboration. Comparative research conducted in Romania and Kyrgyzstan provides evidence that small to medium forms of cooperation provide the rural poor with predictable livelihood strategies under conditions of uncertainty. Despite the push for de-collectivisation there remains a place for encouraging group initiatives, on grounds of both poverty alleviation and agricultural growth.
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