This paper challenges Nobel laureate Schultz’s assertions: small farmers are rational; low income countries saddled with traditional agriculture have not the problem of many farmers leaving agriculture for nonfarm jobs; part-time farming is efficient; economies of scale do not exist in...

Challenging Nobel economics laureate Theodore W. Schultz, Dr Zhou, in this comparative and path-breaking work, presents a new model for private land ownership or possession to overcome inefficient land-holding, increase farm competitiveness, realize food self-sufficiency and eliminate poverty....

Section I challenges Schultz's assertions: (1) small farmers are rational; (2) low income countries saddled with traditional agriculture have not the problem of many farmers leaving agriculture for nonfarm jobs; (3) part-time farming can be efficient; (4) economies of scale do not exist in...

Facing the general trend towards larger but fewer farms since 1935, the US government implemented a protective safety net for small farmers during 1933-96 which did not halt it but incurred market distortions and other drawbacks. It then switched to market oriented measures in 1996 which have...