The Man-Land Ratio and its Effects on Agriculture

Abstract

It is pertinent to begin our study of rural Guangdong by examining the two principal inputs of traditional agriculture, namely, land and labour. Labour was the primary instrument for increasing production within the framework of traditional agriculture. Land, on the other hand, provided the opportunity for the use of labour. In view of the lack of alternative opportunities and the apparent permanence of value of land, it is not at all surprising to find the traditional cultivators equating land with wealth and status.