Agrarian system in China

The “agrarian system” consists of the “institutional, economic, socio-organizational, and ethical patterns found in the agricultural sector and rural areas that oriented towards the superordinate economic and social system” (RÖHM)

In China there are two difference land ownership: the land in urban is owned by the state, the land in the rural is owned by the collective (village).

Before 1978, the agrarian system is collectivization. There were three levels of organizations: farmer team, brigade, commune at rural area. The brigade has the ownership of land and farmers were organized and work at group. Farmer work together and all harvested products equally distribute to household based on a score system (for example an adult man work one day get one score, woman may get 0.8 score).

After 1978, a so called “farmer household responsibility system” was introduced to the agrarian system. The usage right of the land was equally distributed to farmer household (The ownership of land still belongs to village (equally to brigade before reform)).Due to huge population, the average cultivation area of household is very small about 1 rai per family. Due to the small scale of cultivation land the farmer only can make very limited profit from agriculture. It is a challenge for agriculture development in the future. Researcher should find a new solution to increase the profitability of agriculture by introduce some innovative technology/policy.