Capitalism and peasant productivity

This article is a response to comments upon and criticisms of the author's two books, and especially to N. Mouzelis’ critique published in this journal. The central thesis is that family farming is the most successful form of production for putting the maximum volume of surplus peasant labour at the disposal of urban capitalism and constitutes the most efficient way of keeping down the prices of agricultural products. The argument is developed in general terms (i.e. theoretically rather than empirically) and must be judged or countered in those terms. It is, however, illustrated with respect to Greece and to other countries of Southern and of Eastern Europe.