For centuries, the latifundia-style plantations were a backbone of agricultural production in many European colonies. This style of farming was often used to grow crops like cotton and sugar cane that required large amounts of labor and land to produce. These types of plantations were initially created by conquistadors who would conquer native populations, seize their land, and convert it into large farms with slave laborers for cultivation purposes.
The most common crop grown on these types of plantations is generally any type that requires a lot of human labor such as cotton or sugar cane. The need for this type of work force eventually led to the importation from Africa which then became one way Europeans funded slavery before industrialization took over in the 19th century.
In addition to the crops grown for labor, latifundia-style plantations were also often used as a way of utilizing land. The large plots that would be purchased provided an opportunity to grow many different types of fruits and vegetables which would then help feed people in these empires. This was especially true in Europe where this type of farming helped improve food security before industrialization took over after the turn of the century. Latifundia-style plantations are generally seen as a very exploitative form of agriculture because it relied heavily on slave labor while providing little benefit for those living outside its borders (those who weren’t wealthy or partaking in colonialism). However, they did provide some stability for European colonies by supplying both local populations
