Structural Adjustment of Oasis Agriculture in Xinjiang

As a special basic economic region in China, Xinjiang is situated in the arid area in the Northwest China. Oasis agriculture is the basis of the national economy. The development of oasis agriculture helps to accelerate the development of economy, social and environment. After 50 years of practice, from 1949 to 2002, oasis agriculture in Xinjiang enhanced rapidly the scale of agricultural industry and had great changes in its structure. The amount of cultivated area rose from 120.97*102 ha t…     

Theoretical and Empirical Analysis on Influence Factors of Modern Agricultural Equipment Level in the Process of Agricultural Sustainable Development

Abstract

To promote modern agricultural equipment level is one characteristic of constructing and developing modern agriculture in China. This paper makes up stepwise linear regression analysis model of influence factors of modern agricultural equipment level, and chooses rural labor, per capita income of rural residents, rural investment, proportion of people at secondary education level and at higher level in per hundred rural labor force and arable land area as independent variables, and total power of machine as induced variable. The major results show that the relativity of modern agricultural equipment level, rural investment and education level of peasants is remarkable, and they are the major influence factors of modern agricultural equipment level. Raising investment level of rural infrastructure construction as well as and research and development and promotion of advanced and applicable modern agricultural equipment, improving quality and education level of peasants can accelerate the development of China’s modern agricultural equipment effectively in the process of agricultural sustainable development.     

Agricultural Structure in Western China by Comparing with before and after CFFG Based on Shift-share Method

Abstract

Based on shift-share method, this article employs regional share, structural shift and competitive shift to analyze the structural benefit and competitive position of agricultural structure in western China by comparing with agriculture, foresting, stockbreeding and fishing before and after Conversion of Farmland to Forest and Grassland (CFFG). Then authors draw following conclusion: while CFFG program has been put in practice, the agricultural structure in western China has some typical characteristics, such as growth faster, structural predominance obvious and more competitive. But the contributiveness from the competition is not too much yet, and the structural benefit of forest estate and stockbreeding are restrained.     

江苏沿江地区农业产业化地域类型与发展研究

农业产业化经营是新形势下我国农业生产发展的必然趋势。20世纪90年代江苏沿江地区开始了农业产业化经营,现已产生了良好的效果,形成了加工企业带动型、流通企业牵引型、专业市场辐射型、新型合作经济组织依托型、主导产品推进型和外向型农业导入型等多种农业产业化地域类型,对促进江苏沿江地区农业增效、农民增收和农村经济发展产生了重要作用。实现江苏沿江地区农业产业化进一步发展的途径是：构筑农业创新体系,包括完善农村市场组织体制和农业运行机制、建立新型的农业投资机制、创新农业土地流转机制和转变行政、农业科研部门的服务职能;进一步调整与优化农村经济、农业和农产品结构,加快建设区域专门化农业生产基地;加强农业技术革新和农业科技示范园的建设,提高农业科技进步贡献率;建设适应现代市场竞争条件下的农业经营理念,实现传统农业向现代农业的跨越。     

Public Investment and Environmental Sustainability of Agricultural Production in China

Abstract

The excessive application of fertilizer and pesticides in grain production in China has posed a threat to the environmental sustainability of agricultural production. One of the major reasons of the increasing usage of chemical inputs by farmers is their trying to reach higher yields, especially In absence of adequate public inputs, such as development and extension of appropriate technology and necessary production infrastructure, etc. Based on the crop-specific data of the past 20 years, this paper examines how the public Investments in agricultural researches could impact on the reduction of farmers' private material inputs of major grain crops in China. It manifests that the increased investments in public sector, especially in agricultural researches, is a favorable and effective way to reduce farmers' private material inputs and should be given a priority consideration in the policy emendation to increase yields and improve production sustainability.     

The Clean Development Mechanism and Sustainable Development in China's Electricity Sector

Abstract

The Clean Development Mechanism, a flexibility mechanism contained in the Kyoto Protocol, offers China an important tool to attract investment in clean energy technology and processes into its electricity sector. The Chinese electricity sector places centrally in the country's economy and environment, being a significant contributor to the acid rain and air pollution problems that plague many of China's cities and regions, and therefore a focus of many related energy and environmental policies. China's electricity sector has also been the subject of a number of economic analyses that have showed that it contains the highest potential for clean energy investment through the Clean Development Mechanism of any economic sector in China. This mechanism, through the active participation from investors in more industrialized countries, can help alleviate the environmental problems attributable to electricity generation in China through advancing such technology as wind electricity generation, clean coal technology, high efficient natural gas electricity generation, or utilization of coal mine methane. In this context, the Clean Development Mechanism also compliments a range of environmental and energy policies which are strategizing to encourage the sustainable development of China's economy.     

农村市场化对农户耕地流转的影响——以沪苏皖农户调查为例

随着市场经济体制的全面确立,农村市场化与农户土地利用行为的关系越发紧密。为揭示农村市场化对农户耕地流转行为的影响,围绕农产品销售市场和土地流转市场两方面,运用农户调查法和Heckman两阶段模型进行分析。结果显示：耕地流转费用和农产品销售价值的高低决定着农户土地预期及农业效益的实现程度,对耕地流转概率和流转面积产生了显著影响。同一要素对流入和流出的推拉作用往往是相反的。农户特征、耕地资源和地区差异等要素对耕地流转也产生了明显的影响,与流转动因相一致。由于目前农村土地流转市场和农产品市场尚不健全,积极发展现代农业,推进规模经营,规范土地流转,有助于改善农户福利,优化农业土地利用结构     

Impact on Mountainous Agricultural Development in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area forced by Migrants of the Three Gorges Project

Abstract

The Three Gorges Project attracts worldwide attention because of the Three Gorges migrants, and the agriculture of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area is a foundation for the development of the Three Gorges migrants. The Three Gorges Reservoir Area is situated at the mountainous area with bad agricultural development conditions and relatively low levels of development. As a result, the large-scale migration has special influence on its agricultural development, which has attracted much attention. The paper analyzes influence that the migrants have forced on its agricultural development based on the scientific data, and makes some explorations on the models that are suitable for the development of mountainous agriculture in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area     

Rural women and agrotourism in the context of sustainable rural development: A case study from Turkey

As in many developing countries also in Turkey, agriculture is on the center of rural development and rural women are on the center of agriculture. Although they are main part as a major labor force at every stage of agricultural activity and undertake responsibilities such as domestic task and childcare, women do not profit from social and economic benefits proportionate to the responsibilities they have undertaken.Agrotourism is an alternative activity in the rural development process, which combines agriculture and tourism, improves natural resources, contributes the rural area socially and economically.The aim of this study is to examine the participation conditions of rural women to the agrotourism activities, which is considered as an option in the context of sustainable rural development, and to identify the possible social and economic implications of agrotourism on the rural womens life, after determining the situation and importance of rural women in the agricultural activity. This research was carried out in three villages of Kalecik district of Ankara and data gathered from group meetings and surveys.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Diversification and Sustainable Development in Chinese Agriculture

Abstract

Feeding a growing population exceeding 1 billion is a big challenge to the Chinese government and has partly led to the self-sufficient policy in grain production and supply for decades. However, the efforts to push grain production everywhere have resulted in not only deterioration of the environment but also stagnation or even reduction in farmers' income as production costs continue to increase. This situation might be worsening after China's accession to the WTO that provides market access for bulk commodity imports. A sustainable development in Chinese agriculture depends on diversification, or structural adjustment, that allows Chinese farmers to fully utilize their comparative advantage in production of labor-intensive goods. Past experience has shown that diversification has contributed more than a half of the growth in Chinese agriculture during the reform period and reduced stresses on the environment at the same time. It is likely to contribute even more to Chinese agriculture in the future and in a sustainable manner.     

21世纪长江流域农业发展趋势及对策研究

长江流域农业资源丰富,农产品产量大,农产品加工业发达,农业、农村经济水平较高,农业在全国占有重要的地位。８０年代以来,长江流域农业、农村经济结构逐渐优化,农业生现代化装备水平逐步提高,但部分农产品产量（包括商品粮）在全国的地位下降,流域内省际间农村、农业经济差距扩大。据此本文提出长江流域农业发展的主要对策：加大中上游于区的投入力度,进上步调整产业结构,加快名特优产品的产业化开发,加大农业科技投入力     

乡村产业结构评价--以云南省永胜县为例

乡村产业结构的合理化对农村经济、农民收入、农业生产决策及国民经济发展都有着重要意义,对这种合理化的评价一直是乡村地理学与农业经济学的重要研究内容。在探讨乡村产业结构内涵的基础上,利用产值结构指标、劳动力构成指标和结构变动度指标建立乡村产业结构的评价指标体系,并以此对云南省永胜县近20年来产业结构演化进行个案评价。结果表明,永胜县乡村产业结构正向合理化方向发展,但还存在自然资源尚未得到合理利用、三次产业不协调与农业内部结构不合理、不协调等主要问题,有待进一步完善、合理化。研究同时指出了永胜县乡村产业结构调整的基本对策,即调整农业发展方向,持续稳定的发展农业;以食品加工业为乡镇企业发展突破口,积极发展第三产业。     

Population dynamics,rural livelihoods and environmental degradation: some experiences from Tanzania

Population growth and environmental degradation are closely linked. Increasing population has in many rural areas of Tanzania contributed to changes in land use/cover patterns, land fragmentation and livelihood insecurity. Increasing demand for food, energy and other environmental services has contributed to expansion of agriculture, including marginal areas, and deforestation often leading to environmental degradation. Increased reliance on natural resources for rural livelihoods, subsistence nature of the agricultural sector and limited economic opportunities in rural areas are among the factors leading to rural–rural and rural–urban migrations searching for better livelihood opportunities. The high urban demand for food and biomass energy from rural areas has also contributed to rural deforestation and overall environmental degradation. This paper addresses the linkages between population and environmental degradation in Tanzania. It argues that effective implementation of development and resources management policies can lead to environmental sustainability even with growing populations. It provides evidence from successful land management interventions such as HADO, HASHI and SECAP, which support the argument that with effective implementation of resource management initiatives even larger populations can be supported by the available resources. Such successful interventions ought to be emulated elsewhere with similar environmental problems.     

Function of Agricultural Land Use and Its Evolvement in Peri-urban Area: A Case Study of Beijing

Abstract

Rapid urbanization in Beijing stimulates the urban land expansion and diminishes available agricultural land. Monofunctional agricultural land use can not meet the demand of the development of the multifunctional agriculture and urbanization any more, so multifunctional agricultural land use is going to be promoted in the city. This article proposes the evolvement of the land use change from 1992 to 2004 and discusses some evolvement views.     

Rural women and agrotourism in the context of sustainable rural development: A case study from Turkey

As in many developing countries also in Turkey, agriculture is on the center of rural development and rural women are on the center of agriculture. Although they are main part as a major labor force at every stage of agricultural activity and undertake responsibilities such as domestic task and childcare, women do not profit from social and economic benefits proportionate to the responsibilities they have undertaken. Agrotourism is an alternative activity in the rural development process, which combines agriculture and tourism, improves natural resources, contributes the rural area socially and economically. The aim of this study is to examine the participation conditions of rural women to the agrotourism activities, which is considered as an option in the context of sustainable rural development, and to identify the possible social and economic implications of agrotourism on the rural women’s life, after determining the situation and importance of rural women in the agricultural activity. This research was carried out in three villages of Kalecik district of Ankara and data gathered from group meetings and surveys.     

Sustainable Agriculture in the UK

Most agricultural assessments of global environmental change made to date have not focused explicitly on sustainability issues, and have neglected the considerable impacts of shifting agricultural zones, alterations in commercial fertiliser and pesticide use, and changes in the demand for water resources. The current crisis in agriculture, with its economic, political, social and ecological dimensions, has arisen because of the pursuit of a productivity technology/policy model. This broad policy of agricultural ‘modernisation’ and development through the application of agricultural science and technology has shaped the direction of technological change in agriculture and the evolution of a complex agro-industrial food system.¹ This paper focuses on England’s Rural Development Programme² as it contributes to sustainable agriculture alongside the control of pollution.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Agricultural productivity and environmental insecurity in the Usangu plain, Tanzania: policy implications for sustainability of agriculture

Sustainable agricultural development is a necessity for sustainable economic growth and social development in Africa. Sustainable agriculture largely depends on how effective natural and environmental resources are managed and utilized; it also depends on the security of continuous access to such resources. This research was aimed to look into trends in agricultural productivity, examine the persistence of the environmental insecurity, analyze the relationship between the two, and explore their links to the national development policies. The results are discussed in the context of relevance to national development policies and their implications on the sustainability of agriculture and rural livelihoods security. Literature survey, records collection from the stakeholders, village level participatory assessments (PAs), observations and questionnaire survey were tools used for data collection. The study shows significant (P < 0.01) declines in cereal crop yields, cattle milk yield and cattle calving rate, and increasing cattle mortality rate. Elements of environmental insecurity were found to account for decline in agricultural productivity; significant (P < 0.01) proportion (68%), of 266 households interviewed, reported land resources deterioration, declining soil fertility, and increasing drought frequencies as the causes of their low productivity. Declined fertilizer consumption and increasing variability in rainfall amount significantly (P < 0.01) accounted for 59% and 39%, respectively, of the variations observed in total annual production of rice and maize, which are major cereals in the study area. This study recommends measures to improve soil productivity such as improved fertilizer application and use of organic manures along with mineral fertilizers for maintaining soil productivity; education of farmers on sustainable use and management of land resources; and pro-poor rural policies in agricultural development and environmental governance. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Developing and applying a soil erosion model in a data-poor context to an island in the rural Philippines

Soil erosion in many parts of the developing world poses a threat to rural livelihoods, to the sustainbility of the agricultural sector, and to the environment. Most erosion prediction models are mechanistic and unsuited to quantify the severity of soil erosion in a data-limited developing world context. The model developed in this paper for Negros Island, in the central Philippines, is based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, but contains important innovations such as the movement of eroded soil over the landscape, simulating deposition on lower slopes and in waterways. It also includes a term describing farmer strategies to reduce soil erosion, which are typically ignored in erosion prediction models. A two-sample t-test found that model-predicted sediment loading values were not significantly different from field-measured sediment loading values when corrected for watershed size (P = 0.857). The model predicts an annual loss of 2.7 million cubic meters of sediment to waterways such that by 2050 more than 416,000 ha of agricultural land will be rendered unproductive due to erosion. Farmer behavior conserves soil, but on the steepest slopes soil conservation practices are not adequate to prevent erosion. Of two proposed strategies to control soil erosion in the rural Philippines, the model suggests that a complete switch to tree crops would conserve more soil than universal terrace adoption. However, even under these conservation scenarios, erosion threatens the areal extent of upland agriculture on Negros, and hence the sustainability of the island’s food supply.

基于力学平衡模型的乡村转型均衡发展判别方法研究

社会经济 生物自然 土地管理三维驱动因素通过“农村人口 耕地 农村居民点”3要素之间的相互联系与相互作用驱动着乡村转型发展。以该3要素为研究对象,提出基于力学平衡模型乡村转型发展偏离度的评价方法,并综合应用 2000 年和 2010 年两期 Landsat TM影像解译数据及2006~2020年规划修编数据,分析了江苏省乡村地区转型变化的特征规律。研究表明：江苏省各县（市区）乡村地区转型发展过程中,存在不同程度偏离发展情况;偏离度空间上呈现极角苏南<苏中<苏北,极径苏南>苏中>苏北的规律;农村居民点扩张成为乡村转型均衡发展的最重要阻碍因素,这根源于我国特殊的城乡“三元”结构社会体制,目前“生产空间较好的实现了转型,生活空间和身份空间依然滞留在乡村地区”,现阶段的乡村转型发展是一种不均衡的发展模式,必须实现向“以人为本”发展方式转变     

Chinese Agricultural Policies in Thirty Years and Analysis on the Effects

In this article, the reforms of rural institutions and agricultural products' circulation system in China and the changes in national regulation on agricultural economy in the past thirty years were reviewed. The importance of rural land tenure reform and the pursuits of a rural market economy system to the sustained growth of agriculture for 30 years in China were recognized. Entering into the new millennium, under the New Countryside Initiative, a series of favorable policies, in the areas of rural finance, education, social security, and ecological restoration, were put into force to boost rural economy toward modernization. These policies resulted in the effect of abundant supply of agricultural products, improved rural livelihood, reduced farmer fiscal burden, rising farmer income, and increased capacity for multidimensional development in rural area. This article analyzed the issues of “San Nong” and stipulated that future policy will focus on supporting agriculture production, increasing investment in rural infrastructure, as well as enhancing coordination between urban and rural development goals.