Household Contract Responsibility System

The system, giving farmers the right to make independent decisions on using a small piece of contracted land, was created by Chinese farmers in the 1970s. Against the background of bringing order out of chaos and concentrating on the economic development after the end of the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese central authorities respected the willingness of the farmers and actively supported the tryouts and then introduced the experience to the whole country within a couple of years.

As a result, the 800 million farmers have gained the decision-making power on farmland management. The household contract responsibility system helped China’s agriculture step out of the long-term predicament. The agricultural economy grew fast toward specialization, commercialization and socialization. The thriving of township enterprises was another great achievement made by the Chinese farmers. The enterprises, making surplus rural labor shift from farming, blazed a new trail on enriching rural people and stimulating the industry and the whole economic restructuring as well.