multipurpose tree species research for small farms: strategies ... - part

etween the categories.
Yet even what seem to be commonly
understood terms, such as village, household,
farm size, and land rental, require considerable
flexibility in definition, to allow for a great
variety,of forms among and even within
socjeties. The following examples are
illustrativp of how concepts were defined and
agreed upon by the study participants, how
terms were standardized to allow for adequate
flexibility to describe a variety of phenomena in
several d61arly defined compzrable categories,
and how the data are recorded using a
standardized format that allows comparative
analysis.
Agreeing to Coinmon Definitions
Who are Small-scale Farmers?
One of the major objectives of the regional
study is to determine whether tree and forest
use practices of small-scale farm households
differ from the practices of households
operating medium or large-scale farms.
Defining small-scale farmers may be as complex
as characterizing the relative level of poverty
and affluence in rural societies.
The participants agreed that rigid, universal
cutoff points of specific numbers of hectares for
categorizing farm households would be
arbitrary and meaningless. It is understood that
inter-country and even intra-country variations
in the structure of farm households are
significant. if a single measure is used to divide
farm size throughout the region, then relatively
large and prosperous farms in one area will be
combined with relatively small and poor farms
in another. A farm of 0.5ha of land may be
among the largest and richest in much of
Bangladesh or in Java, Indonesia. Yet 'he same
0.5ha in the non-irrigated dry lands of
Rajasthan, India or in most of northeast
Thailand would be among the smallest farms in
those areas, where 4-6 hectares are commonly
needed to produce enough to sustain the
household. If, for example, a range from
0.5-2.Oha isselected as a cutoff for small-scale
farms, the measurement itself bccomes so
inconstant to the point of being meaningless.
The researchers decided instead to use the
FAO definition, which classifies small-scale
farmers as low income producers (below the
national poverty line or below the national
average farm income) with small holdings.
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Farming, fishing and/or agricultural labor isthe
major occupation of the household and its
major soitrce of income. Their holdings
(whether owned, rented or used without
payment) are either inade quate to meet their
minimum needs or just sufficient to meet those
needs. Absolute size of holdings, then, is not as
important as the low income and poverty
associated with the farm. Researchers use their
own judgement in determining the land size
categories that help to define the small-scale
farmers in their specific study location. Each
researcher records the dividing line for small
farms, nd provides a rationale for using that
measure. Other measures of householdwealth
and occupation help eliminate those small
holders who are not poor or who earn
substantial income from no-i-agricultural
sources. Farm size, then, becomes a proxy
measure for rural poverty rather than a measure
in and of itself. Small-scale farmers, whether
working less than 0.2ha in Java or less than
4.Oha in northeast Thailand can be compared if
clearly and rigorously categorized as sharing the
common characteristics of-the FAO definition.
Household
Standard definitions of households were
discussed at length. The participants concluded
that households in the context of the network
study would include all individuals residing in
the dwelling unit. Members may or may not be
from the same family, but they do partake meals
from the same kitchen. Domestic servants,
house tutors and seasonjal laborers who reside
in the same dwelling and take meals from the
same kitchen during the study period would be
considered members of the household. Family
memb,rs living away from the household during
the study period (a son studying in Ithe capital
city, a daughter working ir another district, a
father working overseas) would iat be included
as household members. Therefore, the
definition of households would differ from the
family unit, representing the actual consumption
and production unit.
Village
Defining a village is usually based upon soc6.
delimitation rather than official boundaries.
This means that a village boundary is best
defined by the villagers themselves. who identify
the area and households that constitute the
boundaries of a vill;,ge. Although religious and
ethnic characteristics can often decide the size
and boundaries of a community, a villae
community may also incorporate mor, than one