Who benefited most from Mussolini’s agricultural policies?

The primary beneficiaries of Benito Mussolini’s agricultural policies, particularly the "battle for wheat," were the large landowners of the Po valley and the southern latifundia (large landed estates).12

These policies, which aimed for national self-sufficiency by encouraging grain production through high tariffs and artificially high prices, favored large-scale operations that could leverage chemical fertilizers and mechanization. Conversely, many smaller landowners and peasants suffered; for example, during the Great Depression, these smaller farmers were often forced to sell their land to the wealthy elite.12

Additionally, these large landowners benefited most from government-funded land-reclamation schemes. They were able to form their own consortia to receive state money for draining or irrigating their private property. While the government promoted these initiatives with significant propaganda, the economic reality was that the policies reinforced the position of the landed aristocracy and wealthy agricultural interests rather than the small-scale peasantry.12