petty commodity production A Marxist concept which refers to a form of production in which: the producer has ownership or de facto possession of the means of production; the goods or services produced are commodities (that is, sold through the market); the producer does not systematically hire wage workers, but may use unpaid family labour; the scale of production is small and there is little capital accumulation. This concept is widely used in the study of peasants, family farmers, and artisans. See also SIMPLE COMMODITY PRODUCTION.

production, petty commodity See PETTY COMMODITY PRODUCTION.