Frithjof Kuhnen (1996):
Synthesis of Current State of and Trends in Land Tenure and Land Policy in Asia

3.3.1 Households having Enough Land to Support the Family

When speaking of 'agriculture,' one usually thinks of family farms because these are the most prevalent type in the world. However, one should be aware that, in Asia, only about 1/4 of all agricultural holdings as counted in statistics are large enough to support the farm family. This quarter of all holdings can be characterized as follows:

3.3.1.1 Large Landowners

This group has been decreasing in number and the size of its landed property has also been shrinking in recent years because of inheritance, land reform, and the measures taken to prevent the impact of future land reforms. After the 'Green Revolution,' most of these landowners changed from cultivation done by tenants to self-cultivation and increased their production and productivity considerably. Agriculture is usually the sole activity of all household members but there are cases in which a member works in government service, the army or has a professional job, mostly of a high rank. However, there are still traditional landlords with rental capitalistic behavior, working with share tenants and trying to skim off as much rent as possible. As he has a smaller acreage at his disposal than his forefathers, the 'petty landlord' often exercises a stricter control because he resides mainly in the village and can observe the tenant's activities day and night.

In some countries, there are plantations and other commercial farms. These are large holdings specialized in one crop and having the required installations for processing that crop, most of which is exported. There has been little change in the proverbial poor labour relations of plantations.

3.3.1.2 'Progressive Farmers'

This new stratum emerged in the course of the 'Green Revolution' and consists of farmers owning farms of a larger size than that of family farms who apply modern, market-integrated cultivation, as their name suggests. They emerge from upper as well as from lower strata. From the upper stratum, the landlords' sons discovered that, when new technologies are applied, farming can be an activity ensuring a high income, and they did just this. As far the lower stratum is concerned, some active family farmers, who had the same intention, were successful in increasing the acreage they cultivated by purchasing land or, in most cases, by renting land.

Economically, this category is highly successful, and, in quite a large number of cases, their economic power led to political power which they use to support their interests. While in their economic activities, they just did what the government had always requested them to do, i.e., to increase production, their rational attitude oriented toward productivity led to a deterioration of the traditional relations between employers and labourers which became purely contractual relations.

3.3.1.3 'Economic Holdings'

These are family farms that have sufficient land to employ the family labour force and feed the family lastingly. It is unusual for them to hire labourers except seasonally. They usually apply modern technology, are market-integrated and earn a sufficient income. Since their holdings are of a smaller size, their families are not as affluent as those of the 'progressive farmers.' Usually, on an economic holding, the whole family's interest is centered on the farm which is the basis of their life. While, in many cases, the situation is satisfactory for households which have enough land, this is not the case for the landless and those having insufficient land. To quite an extent, this is caused by those in control of the resources, who make use of their leadership in the village to suppress those who do not have sufficient means of earning a good livelihood.

3.3.1.4 Consequences for Development Projects and Programmes

All the types of households which have sufficient land to support the family have some common characteristics: the function of their holding is to provide as good a livelihood as possible to the family and to produce for the market. Correspondingly, the objective of the cultivating family is to increase production and productivity as means of achieving a higher income. They try to achieve this by applying modern technology and orienting production towards the market. They are open to specialization, to discovering niches, and to mechanization.

The family members are usually happy to work in the modern income-earning agriculture. Family organization is often traditional, and decision-making rests with the farmer himself. The villages in which this type of households predominates are oriented towards agriculture: farmers and non-farmers alike depend upon agriculture. Village politics are oriented towards farmers, and members of this category are usually the leaders in the village.

Agricultural policy is the proper approach to support this category. As well, price, innovation and structural policies are to their advantage, and the smaller holdings, especially, benefit from service institutions such as cooperatives, extension service, etc.