Note

‘‘Small is Beautiful’’
Bharat Dogra

At a time when the gov ernment is going back on its commitments on land-reforms, it is important to emphasise that small farmers can make a very important contribution to increasing sustainable productivity in agriculture.

Small farmers are likely to cultivate their fields more intensively and carefully, working hard to improve land fertility and productivity. Particularly in the context of sustainable farming practices and organic farming practices, it is the ability of farmers to carefully nurture and cultivate their fields, prepare organic manure and pest-repellents which is more important. This is clearly better achieved on small farms and family farms. This view is supported by several international studies.

In a widely quoted publication titled 'Agriculture Towards 2000' the FAO has emphasised that more equal land distribution is likely to increase productivity of land, "It is important to stress here that yields per hectare are as high on small as on large farms or, under traditional agriculture, even higher. With a few notable exceptions, total output per hectare is higher on small farms, chiefly because their intensity of land use is higher."

This view of FAO is supported by a six-country study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which estimated that "If land were equally distributed among all agricultural families (including the landless), and the new equal holdings achieved yields equal to present holdings of the same size and used a similar level of inputs, food output could potentially rise by anything from 10% (Pakistan) and 28% (Colombia and a rice-growing Malaysian region) to 80% in northeastern Brazil. Such a radical redistribution is, of course, rarely attempted—but the figures indicate the theoretical potential."

The fact that greater equality in farmland distribution will increase productivity is even supported by a World Bank publication titled—‘The Assault on World Poverty Problems of rural development, education and health’. This study notes that in Thailand plots of two to four acres produce almost 60 percent more rice per acre than farms of 140 acres or more. An analysis of the differences in the value of output on large and small farms in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala revealed that small farms were three to fourteen times more productive per acre than the large farms.

Frances Lappe and Joseph Collins examined the data of net income per acre by farm size in the US from 1960 to 1973. In 12 out of 14 years the net income per acre was greater on the (smaller) family farms.

However to ensure that the potential of higher productivity is realised, small farmers and particularly new land allottees should get the necessary help for irrigation, water and soil conservation, composting etc.

The landless people are the poorest people in India's villages and if they get land to grow food then clearly this is the most important and durable contribution to reducing poverty and hunger. The fact that per acre productivity can be higher on small farms also increases the role of land reforms in reducing poverty and hunger and contributing to food security.

The report by the FAO referred to above said in the specific context of India, "Redistribution of only 5% of farmland in India, coupled with improved access to water, could reduce rural poverty levels by 30% under what they would be, so that in Indian conditions land and water reform would be a key approach."

Frontier
Vol. 45, No. 23, Dec 16-22, 2012

Your Comment if any