What term describes privatizing common lands into individual parcels, boosting efficiency but displacing smallholders?

• A. Enclosure
• B. Collectivization
• C. Nationalization
• D. Privatization

Answer: (A)

Enclosure is the process of turning common lands into privately owned parcels by adding fences and defining individual rights. In regions like Britain, this shift moved land from communal use to individually controlled plots, which boosted efficiency through clearer property rights, better crop management, and more investment in farming practices. At the same time, it displaced many smallholders who depended on shared rights and the open-field system, often pushing them toward wage labor or migration to cities. The other terms describe different systems: collectivization groups land under shared or state control, nationalization transfers ownership to the state, and privatization generally means selling assets from public to private ownership, not specifically the break-up of common lands into private parcels.