China Farmers Survey

Author: Chen Guidi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: This is not a book that "reports good news," nor is it one that glosses over the realities or flatters. Instead, it is a book that pushes the harsh truth directly to readers and the public, an unflinching expose of the full complexity, urgency, severity, and danger of the "three rural issues." The author not only raises the problems but also collaborates with experts and scholars in agriculture, as well as experienced officials with long-standing roles in formulating and leading agricultural policies, to analyze the severity of these issues and their intricate interrelations as thoroughly as possible. This is an invaluable work of reflection and warning that offers a penetrating look into the current problems of Chinese farmers. The author spent three years traveling across rural Anhui, conducting in-depth investigations, and interviewing insightful reform-minded individuals, experts, professors, and government officials at all levels dedicated to rural development. The collected materials and discarded drafts are nearly equal in volume. Based on extensive handwritten materials, the work reflects the current living conditions of farmers, reveals several major agricultural-related cases that once shocked the central government, exposes the various reasons for the heavy burden on farmers, and portrays the arduous and winding process of rural fee and tax reforms. The narrative is objective and truthful. Listening to the author's heart-wrenching account of the fate of farmers, we gain not only tears.