How did the Mexican Revolution impact the Mexican agricultural system?

The Mexican Revolution had a significant impact on the Mexican agricultural system. Prior to the revolution, a small group of wealthy landowners, known as hacendados, controlled the majority of the agricultural land in Mexico. They utilized a system called haciendas, which were large estates worked by indigenous peasants or rural workers known as peones.

During the revolution, one of the main goals of the revolutionaries was to address the issue of land inequality and to redistribute land to the peasants. This led to the implementation of agrarian reforms, such as the Ejido system, which aimed to break up the large haciendas and distribute the land among the rural population.

Under the Ejido system, communal land was granted to groups of peasants, known as ejidatarios, who collectively worked the land and shared the profits. This allowed for a more equitable distribution of land and provided opportunities for rural workers to have their own plots of land to cultivate.

Additionally, the revolution brought about the establishment of labor rights and protections for agricultural workers. The Constitution of 1917 included provisions for minimum wages, maximum working hours, and the right to form labor unions. These reforms aimed to improve the working conditions and livelihoods of agricultural workers.

However, despite these reforms, the impact on the Mexican agricultural system was not entirely positive. The division of large haciendas often led to fragmented landholdings, which made it difficult for peasants to achieve economies of scale and hindered agricultural productivity. Additionally, the lack of infrastructure and access to credit and technical assistance limited the ability of peasants to fully utilize their land.

Overall, the Mexican Revolution had a transformative impact on the Mexican agricultural system. It aimed to address land inequality, provide land to peasants, and improve the working conditions of agricultural workers. While the reforms brought about some positive changes, challenges such as fragmented landholdings and limited resources persisted, highlighting the complex nature of the revolution's impact on the agricultural sector.