Vías de desarrollo, cambio tecnológico y políticas estructurales en la agricultura moderna venezolana

this paper aims to analyze the agricultural development paths implemented in the modern venezuelan agriculture and the role of the technological change orientation and structural policies. based on census data, a typology of farms and a set of indicators were elaborated to characterize the distribution of land and production according to farm size. from the 50s to the 90s, the tendency was towards a development path centered on medium-sized farmers, stimulated by the technological change bias and structural policies like agrarian reform and colonization. a new political agenda favored food security and property rights in behalf of medium-sized farmers. at present the actions implemented under the last land law can weaken the farmer path, bringing about a reduction of production capacity and employment.