In the shadow of state-led agrarian reforms: smallholder pervasiveness in rural China

Abstract Agricultural modernisation is a longstanding goal of China’s Party-state. Since the early 2000s, it has pursued this through policies designed to facilitate land consolidation and support expansion large agricultural enterprises – ‘New Operators’ (NAOs). In paper we explore effect these on livelihoods cohort smallholder orange growers in mountainous regions Hubei province local political economy. An analysis data from 2019 survey 266 households interviews with villagers, agribusiness executives, cooperative leaders, government officials, find farmers are earning good incomes as independent commodity producers, withstanding attempts by officials at consolidation, bypassing NAOs self-determine their own modes production exchange. Our results speak ongoing debate about future farming China, identify strengths limitations recent state-centric analyses agrarian transition, re-iterate pitfalls central government’s agenda.