How are smallholder farmers responding to agricultural modernisation in China?
This question is central to research led by Brooke Wilmsen, Associate Professor of Anthropology in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
“Agricultural modernisation has been a longstanding goal of China’s Party-state, with a complicated history,” Dr Wilmsen explains.
“Since the early 2000s, the Chinese government has pursued this goal through policies designed to support land consolidation and the expansion of large agricultural enterprises.”
Despite these efforts, smallholder farming endures, with 200 to 300 million households each farming a few hectares of land.
“Our research explores how these small, usually family-run farms have been displaced or absorbed. We have also examined the impact these changes have had on rural life and livelihoods.”
“We specifically looked at the experiences of smallholder fruit growers in the mountainous regions of central China and the local political economy.”
Associate Professor Wilmsen says this case study demonstrates the limits of the Chinese government’s power to drive agricultural modernisation.
“Our research shows that, despite the omnipresence of the state in rural life in China, there is still space for smallholder farmers to flourish and modernise on their own terms.”
“Our findings suggest the central government should reconsider those elements of its agricultural modernisation agenda.”
“A policy framework designed to encourage broad-based rural development would help unlock the potential of smallholder farmers. It would also limit the perverse political and economic incentives, wasted resources and unequal outcomes generated by the central government’s current approach.”
