Driven by economic and ideological policies, rubber plantations have been established in southern China since the early 1950s. Rubber was seen as a perfect way to modernize the “primitive” shifting agricultural practices of indigenous minorities and to “legitimize” the landscape according to new Maoist State ideals. However, large-scale rubber production was dogged by problems, and most rubber production now emanates from smallholders, challenging the state notion that “bigger is better.” In the transition to a free market, smallholder rubber farms, which grow a wider variety of crops, have greater flexibility and are better able to adjust to market changes. These small mixed farms also enhance ecological and cultural diversity.
26[254:TPSAET]2.0.CO;2&apiKey=3948bb216041dbffcb29a618defafc29&httpAccept=image%2Fjpeg)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1659/0276-4741(2006)26[254:TPSAET]2.0.CO;2Altmetric score:
Dimensions Citation Count:
Publication year
2006
Authors
Language
English
Keywords
smallholders, ecology, agriculture
Geographic
China
