Institutional Innovations in Accessing Land, Water, Machinery and Extension Services in China’s Agriculture

Institutional reform has been one of key reforms pursued by the Chinese government. This chapter present details of each of the major institutional innovations governing the access of critical inputs like land, water, farm machinery and extension service in the agricultural sector. Getting land institutions right is fundamental for sector’s development. The land institution is crucial in determining if and how people, communities and others are able to acquire rights, and associated duties, to use and control land. China’s experience has shown that land institution plays a fundamental role in facilitating inclusive, efficient and sustainable use of land. Institutional innovations have also occurred in other areas such as in arrangements for water (irrigation). Given the role of irrigation and the challenge of water scarcity in China, government implemented a variety of policies like investment in irrigation, institutional reforms on irrigation facilities and water rights, and development of and incentives to adopt water saving technologies. This chapter also captures evolution of institutions governing farm mechanization to explore the driving forces for its rapid development and the roles of innovative custom services for efficient and sustainable agriculture. It also examines the evolution of a strong agricultural extension system, its reforms over time, and its impacts on agricultural extension services to farmers. According to the experts, China’s agricultural extension system is the largest in terms of staff in the world and covers nearly every corner across China.