An important contribution to the literature on postgenocide Rwanda. It is also, more broadly, a must-read for anyone interested in the global processes of agrarian transformation.

African Affairs

An in-depth analysis of Rwanda's problematic rural reengineering project. It is an essential contribution to the contemporary literature on post-conflict reconstruction and development.

An Ansoms, co-author of Losing your Land: Dispossession in the Great Lakes

In a nuanced and compelling account, Chris Huggins explores why Rwanda's ambitious agricultural modernization program has undermined the livelihoods of many of the country's smallholder farmers. It should be required reading for scholars and practitioners engaged with state-sponsored rural development in Africa.

Catharine Newbury, Smith College (Emeritus)

A well researched book on Rwanda, using an interesting blend of theoretical insights. It highlights the drama in Africa associated with capturing peasants for national development while at the same time avoiding elite capture of the public good.

Goran Hyden, University of Florida (Emeritus)

Based on detailed fieldwork, this book substantially advances our understanding of the Rwandan story. Anyone interested in the political economy of African agriculture should read this book.

Ian Scoones, co-editor of Africa's Land Rush: Rural Livelihoods and Agrarian Change

An extraordinary study of the state-directed commercialization of Rwandan agriculture. In this nuanced account, Huggins reworks the contemporary agrarian question.

Philip McMichael, author of Food Regimes and Agrarian Questions