Land reform in Italy

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive picture of land reform in Italy - now perhaps the problem of greatest interest for Italian agrarian policy, and one of the most important for the general economic policy of the country. The author first gives an informative account of the underlying economic and political-social motives, before illustrating the three Acts under which the Reform is being carried out and summarising the regulations concerning the establishment of the Land Reform Agencies. The article concludes by an examination of the technical problems arising in the three main and successive phases in the implementation of the land reform: expropriation of the lands; their subdivision among the peasants and land improvement works; and the final stage of technical and financial assistance to the new farms.