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UPSC Prelims 2023 · Agriculture · Farming Green
Which one of the following best describes the concept of ‘Small Farmer Large Field’?
- (a) Resettlement of many people, uprooted from their countries due to war, by giving them a large cultivable land which they cultivate collectively and share the produce
- (b) Many marginal farmers in an area organise themselves into groups and synchronise and harmonise selected agricultural operations
- (c) Many marginal farmers in an area together make a contract with a corporate body and surrender their land to the corporate body for a fixed term for which the corporate body makes a payment of agreed amount to the farmers
- (d) A company extends loans, technical knowledge and material inputs to a number of small farmers in an area so that they produce the agricultural commodity required by the company for its manufacturing process and commercial production
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (b) Many marginal farmers in an area organise themselves into groups and synchronise and harmonise selected agricultural operations
Farmers keep their own land but act together — same seed, same sowing time, shared machines and marketing — to get economies of scale.
The idea
SFLF started in Vietnam’s rice sector. It gives small farmers the scale benefits of a large farm — bulk buying, mechanisation, better prices — while each keeps ownership.
Why the others are wrong
(a) This describes refugee resettlement, not SFLF.
(c) That is land leasing to a company.
(d) That is contract farming.
The trap
(d) contract farming also involves many small farmers and scale, so it tempts. SFLF keeps control with the FARMERS, not a company.
🔒 SFLF = farmers keep their land, synchronise operations as a group. Contract farming = a company directs the farmers.