In preparing this book, the authors have received assistance directly or indirectly from many people. Initial inspiration was provided by Dr Neal Carpenter, then Chief of FAO's Farm Management and Production Economics Service (AGSP), who saw the need for a more holistic approach to agricultural development problems at farm, household and village levels. Following Dr Carpenter's untimely death, the project was carried through with the energetic support of his successors including Dr Malcolm Hall and Dr Karl Friedrich. The first draft was constructively criticised by Dr John Dixon, also of AGSP. Nor would the work have been possible without the assistance and cooperation of the great many specialists, particularly small farmers and professional agriculturalists, with whom we have talked and worked throughout Asia. Our thanks must also go to Ms Sally Bearman and Ms Suzanne Blair for assistance in editing, processing and formatting the manuscript as camera-ready copy.
The book has two source streams. One, the formal stream, consists of analytical frameworks and techniques pertinent to the planning and management of farm systems. Our consulting of other authors in these matters is acknowledged in the cited references. Beyond suggested classification schema for agricultural systems, farm types and the modes and fields of farm management analysis, we add little that is new. The main task was to apply these formalities to the world of small traditional farm systems. Thus we exploit also a second stream: that of informal knowledge and village lore which flows to us from the developing world itself - and we try to gain from it sufficient insight to suggest what scope (and limitations) there might be for applying modem farm management techniques in the context of farm systems in old traditional but inevitably changing cultures.
Full acknowledgment of the debt which we owe to the small-farm households of Asia is not possible. This book is dedicated to them with respect and gratitude.
Douglas J. McConnell
John L. Dillon
