Towards the political economy of pluriactivity

The paper explores some of the theoretical concerns of political economy approaches in agriculture and links these to the significance of pluriactivity among farm families. Attention focuses upon the relevance of debates concerning the commoditisation of the labour process and uneven development, and the ways in which a consideration of pluriactivity needs to be incorporated into these. This is seen as essential both for the future development of political economy approaches and a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of family-based land holding.