Las Mujeres y el Mito de la Agricultura de Subsistencia. De la exportación de alimentos a la dependencia alimentaria en el sur de Mozambique

Abstract

As in many African countries, agriculture has been one of the key issues when debating rural development in Mozambique. One of the current concepts in these debates is the so called subsistence agriculture. In this article we propose an historical perspective to look at changes in rural areas of Southern Mozambique before colonialism, during colonialism and after the independence. By focusing on the evolution of rural markets, social inequalities, kin and other hierarchies that structure rural societies, we propose that concepts as subsistence agriculture and family sector, if used without taking into account historical changes, tend to simplify too much ever changing rural complexities. We conclude that history can help in socioeconomic analysis and a better diagnosis for future policies.

Keywords

• Mozambique
• history
• subsistence agriculture
• women
• mobility
• markets