plantocracies
/plænˈtɑkrəsiz/
noun
- Governments or ruling groups made up of plantation owners, especially in historical contexts where large agricultural estates controlled political power.
- Many Caribbean islands were ruled by plantocracies that prioritized sugar exports over local welfare.
- The plantocracies of the American South held enormous influence over state laws before the Civil War.
- Historians study how plantocracies shaped economic systems in colonial regions.
- By extension, any powerful elite whose wealth comes from large-scale agriculture or land ownership.
- Critics argue that plantocracies often block land reforms that would help small farmers.
- Modern plantocracies in some countries still dominate rural politics through land ownership.
- The rise of agribusiness has created new plantocracies that control food supply chains.
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