FOREWORD

The majority of Asian countries remain essentially agrarian. However, significant differences in agrarian structure exist among and within Asian countries. Agrarian reforms have been widely adopted in the past. Government interventions have had the objectives of accelerating social change, achieving greater equity in the agrarian structure, and improving agricultural productivity. A new international understanding of agrarian reforms is evolving, which includes the evolution of a free market for agricultural land, linking agrarian reforms with environmental protection, addressing emerging issues, enabling farmers to make informed choices on agricultural technology, etc. Land redistribution and growth with equity remain unmet goals, however. The overall achievements of agrarian reforms have been far from satisfactory in many member countries.

Facing the poor performance and the difficulties in implementing traditional land-redistribution programs, many governments have changed their methods for agrarian reforms. Currently, moderate approaches to implement gradual corrective measures are preferred. More effective, participatory, and socially acceptable institutional changes are demanded. These measures include improving title-holding systems to encourage investment, discouraging excessive land fragmentation. They often accompany other supportive measures such as improved extension services, institutional financing and infrastructure.

To assess the impact of agrarian reforms on agricultural productivity and to enhance the role of such reforms in sustainable agricultural development, the APO sponsored the Study Meeting on Agrarian Reforms and Agricultural Productivity that was hosted by Sri Lanka in 2001. This publication is a compilation of the papers and the report of the proceedings of that study meeting. It is hoped that this volume will prove useful to readers, especially those engaged in policy-making and planning to make agrarian reforms more relevant and effective in increasing agricultural productivity.

The APO is grateful to the Government of Sri Lanka for hosting the study meeting; to the Ministry of Agriculture and National Institute of Business Management for implementing the program; and to the resource persons for their valuable contributions. Special thanks are due to Dr. M. Ghaffar Chaudhry for editing the present volume.

– TAKASHI TAJIMA, APO Secretary-General, Tokyo, October 2003