Building Institutions for Markets: Experiences and Lessons from China's Rural Forest Sector

Through the lens of institutional economics, this paper reviews the reform and development experience in China's rural forest sector and discusses lessons that can be learned by China and other countries. We find that the impacts of the reforms, characterized by changes in forest tenures and market settings, hinge on how they are implemented. If farmers are granted not only land use rights but also liberalized market access, as shown in the northern farm region and the production of non-timber forest products, the incentive structure will be improved, and thus forest production will grow and producers and consumers will benefit. If the reforms are implemented in such a way as to cause market control and distortions, as witnessed in the southern traditional timber production region, the incentive structure will improve little. The chances for production increase will thus be diminished, making it difficult for producers and consumers to enhance their welfare. While tenure arrangements have evolved across the country in the 1990s, timber production in the south remains subject to allowable quota, cutting permit, government procurement, and heavy taxation. We wonder what the land use and tree ownership rights mean without the right to access market freely and fairly, and how practical it is to substitute government efforts for private initiatives in a successful forestry program. The time has come for Chinese policymakers to address these problems.     

林业生产性服务能促进农户林地规模经营吗?--基于林地流入视角的实证分析

厘清林业生产性服务对农户林地规模经营的影响,可为盘活集体林区林地资源、促进家庭林业发展提供决策参考。为考察林业生产性服务对林地规模经营的影响,首先构建了考虑林业生产性服务及林地规模的农户生产模型,通过理论分析后提出假设:林业生产性服务投入增加,将促进农户增加林地要素投入,即林业生产性服务对农户林地规模经营有正向影响。其次,基于福建500份经营商品林农户调查数据,利用Double-Hurdle模型及工具变量处理选择性偏差、遗漏变量及联立因果等引起的内生性问题,实证分析林业生产性服务对农户林地规模经营的影响。结果发现:不同类型的林业生产性服务对农户林地规模经营影响存在差异。其中,林业信贷服务对农户林地规模经营有正向影响,正规信贷与非正规信贷分别使农户林地流入概率提升19.6%、15.9%,使农户林地流入规模分别扩大66.8%、38.5%。林业物资与技术服务仅在是否流入林地阶段对农户林地规模经营有正向影响,使农户林地流入概率提升8.9%。林业劳动力服务仅在林地流入规模阶段对农户林地规模经营有正向影响,使得农户林地流入规模扩大66.9%。林业销售服务由于买方垄断特征对农户林地规模经营有负向影响,使农户林地流入概率降低12.3%,使农户林地流入规模缩减73.2%。因而,政府应有针对地激励和规范各类林业生产性服务发展,以更好地服务于集体林区家庭林业发展。     

林农合作组织建设和发展中的博弈行为分析

我国开展集体林权制度改革以来,林农合作组织的建设和健康发展是亟待解决的重要问题,而合作组织的建设和发展过程实质上是一个博弈过程。本文在充分考虑林农合作特点的基础上构建了个体对群体的两阶段博弈模型,分析了林农合作组织形成和发展中的博弈行为。研究发现,由于各参与方的理性程度不同、林业收益长期性和林业生产的外部性明显,只有保证林农的长期收益、提高对长期收益的认可程度,更要保证林农的当期收益时,合作才能形成,此外,林业的外部性问题是影响合作形成与发展的重要因素。因此,应丰富合作的内容和形式以确保林农的当期收益;加强对林农大户的培训,提高合作组织规范管理的水平;同时加强宣传以提高对长期收益的认可程度,从而提高长期收益;搭便车现象难以避免但应正确对待;各种能降低风险的措施均有利于合作。此外,在合作组织发展的起步阶段,政府是重要的推动力量,应提高政策支持和监督的力度。     

集体林权改革评价:林产品生产绩效视角

新一轮的集体林权改革已经开展了6年,对这一轮改革及时进行评价,不但对于认识改革的效果有积极的作用,而且对于有效地推进改革也是必不可少的.本文通过分成地租模型预测,集体林权改革对林产品生产效率会产生正向的影响,这些正向的影响主要包括林户劳动积极性的提高和林产晶产量的增加,同时也可能会对林产品全要素生产率产生积极影响.利用此次林权改革的主要省份之一--福建2县11乡(镇)29村320林户调查数据,本文的研究结论证实了前者,林户劳动投入由改革前146.53工日增加到改革后的180.76工日,增长了23%;竹产品的产量也由改革前的1 312.33 kg增长到改革后的1 815.09kg,增加了38%.另外,基于肯德里克方法,本文计算了集体林权改革前后林产品全要素生产率,对比二者发现,改革对林产品全要素生产率并没有产生正向的影响,相反而是负向的影响.据此本文提出,下一步的林业改革在做好相关配套改革的基础上,还要注重提高林产晶全要素生产率.     

From economic to environmental sustainability: the forest management debate in 20th century Finland and Sweden

The issues of sustainability, efficiency, and profitability in private forestry dominated debate on Finnish and Swedish forest policy throughout the 20th century. The management and utilization of private forests have been significant for these countries since more than half of productive forest land has been owned by families. Forests have also played an important role in Finland’s and Sweden’s national economies. There was however no consensus among forest owners and forestry experts—forest scientists and forestry authorities—about the methods of achieving forestry sustainability and profitability, particularly in the early 1900s. This article focuses on the types of argument on which perceptions of good forest management were based, and the reasons for their use. The article also explores how disagreements and occasional open conflicts between private forest owners and forest authorities were solved, and what kind of regulative means were developed to avoid such differences. There are three main reasons for making a case study of Finland and Sweden: Firstly, the forest sector has played an important role in their national economies, secondly, the objectives and content of their forestry laws are quite similar, and thirdly, the tradition of family forest ownership has remained strong. The debate on good forest management in this period revolves around the two silvicultural paradigms: even-aged and uneven-aged systems. The former concerns formal, scientific knowledge of forest management, and the latter takes a traditional approach.     

退耕还林:农户、地方政府与中央政府的博弈关系

自退耕还林工程实施以来,该工程进展顺利,并取得了显著的成绩.但随着财政补贴陆续到期,却未能解决退耕还林农户的长远生计问题.从博弈论的视角探讨退耕还林实施中的行为主体关系有利于该工程成果的巩固和工程的持续推进.文章首先评述退耕还林的相关文献,然后,用动态博弈模型分析农户与政府以及中央政府与地方政府的利益互动关系.文章得出的关键结论有:在贴现因子足够大的条件下任何短期的机会主义行为所带来的收益都小于长期合作所带来的长远收益,农户和政府采取长期合作是理性的选择行为;在中央政府先行动的情况下,地方政府实施退耕还林工程所带来的收益要大于中央政府后行动所带来的收益.基于上述结论,文章提出要确保国家政策的稳定性从而提高政府的信誉度、永久性地对退耕还林农户发放财政补贴、提高农户的贴现值从而稳定其预期、确保地方政府执行退耕还林工程的收益等政策建议.     

On Sustainable Development of Social Forestry in Bangladesh: Experiences from Sal (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Shorea Robusta</Emphasis>) Forests

Sustainability in forestry is a complex amalgam of trade-offs among its various dimensions and there is no easy route to achieve sustainable development. It is important that policy process and implementation strategy of these policies should be based on sound information about these trade-offs. There is a growing consensus amongst key forest decision-makers in Bangladesh that traditional forestry is needed to make the transition to more sustainable forestry, which is likely to involve local people in forest management. As a result, the government has initiated a social forestry program from 1981 with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) grant and operated mainly in Sal forest areas. The most important objective of this program is to protect, manage, and develop forests in a sustainable way by involving local communities. Although several studies have focused on the management issues of social forestry, none of these studies has evaluated the indicators of sustainable social forestry. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the criteria of sustainable development of social forestry in Bangladesh. The study is based on primary cross-sectional data collected using the multistage stratified sampling technique. In total, 581 social forestry farmers were selected randomly and interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. The study evaluated some important components of sustainable development and identified the following conditions of social forestry in Bangladesh:(i) almost all the components of sustainable development of social forestry, although not at the aspiration level, were at good condition;(ii) participants were interested and committed to work with Forest Department in developing social forestry;(iii) they had been utilizing both hard and soft technology in practicing social forestry, although there exists ample scope of development;(iv) income of participants after involving in social forestry had increased, although not at satisfactory level; and(v) process of producing social and material goods had been under progress.However, there exist plenty of scopes for sustainable social forestry development through improving the sustainable development components more carefully.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

A pattern for partnership between LMDH and Perhutani to enhance local community prosperity and preserve the forest: a case study at RPH Besowo,Kediri Regency,Indonesia

The deforestation in Indonesia is already alarming. One of the strategies used by the government to overcome forest deforestation is social forestry. This program is called PHBM (Pengelolaan Hutan Bersama Masyarakat/Joint Forest Management) which is basically a partnership program. This study aims at describing the partnership program between a local organization (i.e. LMDH) and a government unit (i.e. RPH of Perhutani) within the PHBM program. The objectives of this study are to (a) describe the model of partnerships between LMDH and RPH Besowo for sustainable forest management and local community empowerment; (b) determine the contribution of the forest to the national economy and rural household income; and (c) determine the obstacles commonly found in Besowo forest that have to be faced during the implementation of the partnerships. The study shows that with good partnership between these two units, the prosperity of the local community can be enhanced and the forest preservation can be maintained. The model of the partnerships in this particular area in Indonesia is expected to be applicable as well in other rural areas in Indonesia, as well as in other developing countries.     

Co-Partnership in Forest Management: The Gwira-Banso Joint Forest Management Project in Ghana

The involvement of local communities, as well as the private sector and the government in forest management is now an important principle of tropical forestry policy and practice and a major component of most international forestry aid programmes. This paper present an analysis on the Joint Forest Management Project initiated by two timber companies (Ghana Primewood Products Ltd and Dalhoff Larsen & Horneman) in collaboration with local people in Gwira-Banso of Ghana. Conditions required for enhancing responsibility for and commitment to local forest management, and for an effective local participatory process were also analysed. The study began with the premise that incentives and good communication will enhance participation in joint forest management.The assumption was valid and the results from the survey showed that five broad issues prioritised by respondents to be essential for co-partnership in forest management are communication, financial support, tree planting, multiple land use and benefit sharing. The Project enjoys a great deal of support from the local community, but a number of factors make the continued support of local people a challenging task, including questions of immediate livelihood sources and tenure arrangements. Although this participatory forest management has been implemented over a relatively short period, there is evidence that government and private sectors can successfully involve local people in sustainable management of the forests.     

Diversification and Sustainable Development in Chinese Agriculture

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 an     

云南森林生态功能区农户生态补偿支付意愿(WTP)影响因素及差异性分析

生态补偿是协调经济与资源环境和谐发展,化解生态环境与经济增长矛盾的有效手段,对推进生态文明建设意义深远。基于云南省5个州市农户调查数据,运用二元Probit模型,分析了云南森林生态功能区农户生态补偿支付意愿的关键影响因素及其差异性。研究表明:大部分农户愿意为生态补偿付费,影响其支付意愿的主要因素是性别、年龄、是否兼业、家庭人口数、非农收入比重、生态补偿重要性认知、森林经济效益是否比生态效益重要、生态环境满意度、政府是否对生态环境保护宣传、政策执行信任度以及信息获取难易程度;其中年龄、家庭农业劳动力人数和信息获取难易程度对专业户支付意愿有重要影响,而家庭人口数、非农收入比重以及获得政府补偿的情况对兼业户支付意愿有重要影响;是否兼业、非农收入比重、对生态补偿了解程度以及信息获取难易程度对传统散户支付意愿影响较大;对政策执行的信任程度和产业发展程度对种植大户支付意愿有重要影响。基于此,提出了完善政府农村就业服务职能,鼓励农户非农就业、创业;完善生态功能区环境教育体系和宣传制度建设,强化农户环保意识;强化政府职责及其政策推广、执行力度,构建综合、完善的生态补偿宣传媒介;制定并实施差异化的生态补偿措施等具体对策建议。     

南方沙化土地治理中的农户行为实证研究

我国南方亚热带沙化土地在成因、危害和治理方式上均与北方沙地有很大不同,以沙化土地水土流失治理典型区周边的农户为研究对象,通过实地调研村域基本情况,走访村落中的农户群体与关键人物,获得问卷与访谈数据,对农户沙地治理与利用行为、生态意识、生态认知、农业生产方式等进行了统计分析,从人口特征分异上考察各类农户群体的行为和意识差异,运用Logistic二值回归模型验证农户治理行为的显著影响因子,研究结果表明,农户沙地行为和生态意识在人口特征和土地利用方式上都有显著差异,其中年龄、学历、实际耕种规模、农业损失、沙地活动是影响农户参与沙地造林意愿和行为的主要因素。研究结论对改善沙地生态治理模式和优化环境政策具有一定参考意义,生态治理中的农户行为具有进一步研究的价值     

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.     

New Development in Study of the Faustmann Optimal Forest Harvesting

Chinese forest resources have become very scarce in the face of rapid economic growth demand, while the reform of collective forest right system is in full swing across the country. It will directly affect the regeneration level of forest resources and the diverse ecological value functions. In this article, the mainstream model paradigm of forest economics, that is, the basic framework of the Faustmann model and its evolution process are made in a more detailed explanation, especially the extended model in...     

Management Model of Resources Equilibrium Distribution among Overlapping-Generations

The overlapping generation models the western scholars have designed from various perspectives to address different kinds of issues do not reflect Chinese emerging political and economic problems, and cannot be entirely and blindly applied to Chinese practical situation. In this paper the authors endeavor to incorporate some western scholars' research results into their own research findings to present overlapping generations model theory in a new perspective through establishing an overlapping generations theory on population including articulation of concepts and theorems of biological generation, economic generation and social generation and the overlapping periods in biological generation and two overlapping periods in economic generation among three generations. This management model with equilibrium distribution of resource wealth includes overlapping generations length model (6), equilibrium transfer model (θ) and a complete model on equilibrium distribution among generations (δ-θ). The model p     

Involving local farmers in rehabilitation of degraded tropical forests: some lessons from Ghana

The role of community-based plantation development in forest rehabilitation and poverty alleviation is a pressing issue for the government of Ghana. In this paper, we present an analysis of the prospects of a community-based plantation using taungya systems and indigenous trees as means to forest rehabilitation and livelihood improvement in Ghana. The project management strategies, communication process and incentive mechanism and their impact on local participation are discussed with the aim to recommending a mechanism through which local farmers can best be involved in rehabilitation of degraded sites in the future in Ghana. Data were collected through a survey using personal interviews of 431 farming households and ten key informants from ten communities living in scattered hamlets in and around forests reserves. The results show a high rate of local participation in project tree planting activities. Four years after the project’s initiation, about 250 ha of plantations had been established using twelve priority indigenous and one exotic species and farmers had indicated improvement in their farming practices and availability of food and forest products. Restoring forest quality as a timber resource and associated values, getting money, food stuff and timber and non-timber for domestic use, and having access to fertile land for farming were the top three issues prioritised by respondents as motivational factors for engaging in the project activities. Overall, this project demonstrates that reversing tropical forest degradation is possible. For this we need local involvement in tree domestication combined with activities that addresses livelihood needs and environmental concerns. This case also demonstrates the prospects of utilising indigenous tree species, not only exotic species that dominated tree planting in the past, for plantations and landscape rehabilitation in Ghana. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Management Model of Resources Equilibrium Distribution among Overlapping-Generations

Abstract

The overlapping generation models the western scholars have designed from various perspectives to address different kinds of issues do not reflect Chinese emerging political and economic problems, and cannot be entirely and blindly applied to Chinese practical situation. In this paper the authors endeavor to incorporate some western scholars' research results into their own research findings to present overlapping generations model theory in a new perspective through establishing an overlapping generations theory on population including articulation of concepts and theorems of biological generation, economic generation and social generation and the overlapping periods in biological generation and two overlapping periods in economic generation among three generations. This management model with equilibrium distribution of resource wealth includes overlapping generations length model (δ), equilibrium transfer model (?) and a complete model on equilibrium distribution among generations (δ-?). The model provides quantitative basis for the creation of resource management system, and fills in a theoretical gap in this discipline in China. Besides, it furnishes a new methodology and manipulate tool for Chinese government to establish a comprehensive management information bank for many sectors such as economic trade, population, science and technology, education, human resource, natural resource and environment, agriculture, forestry, industry, mining and energy.     

安徽省森林生态承载力及其重心迁移研究

以安徽省72个区县为研究样本,基于PSR(Pressure-State-Response)模型,运用熵权法与专家法确定综合权重,根据综合指数法计算森林生态承载力指数,并对2001～2016年安徽省森林生态承载力进行时空分析,同时在GIS技术支持下对安徽省县域森林生态承载力重心轨迹的演变规律进行研究.结果表明:安徽省森林生态承载力状况整体上得到了很大改善,全省大部分区县处于可载等级;政府林业投资强度、天然林保护面积占比、退耕还林面积占比、林分结构等指标权重较大;省内森林生态承载力水平分布不均衡,超载地区主要分布在皖北平原地区,可载地区则大多分布在皖西南山区;森林生态承载力重心在2001～2006年从西北向东南方向迁移,2006～2009年从东南向东北方向迁移,2009～2016再次向东南方向迁移,且迁移的速度明显加快.     

通过可持续认证推动农林牧渔领域自然资源保护

1992年里约环境发展大会后可持续发展成为各国和各界的共识,但经历了二十年的发展,自然资源保护与可持续发展之间的矛盾仍然存在,特别是农林牧渔等领域自然资源的合理开发利用仍待进一步发展。我国作为国际农林牧渔产品的重要消费国和贸易国,在积极推动国内资源的可持续利用同时,也可以通过国际贸易在全球自然资源可持续利用中发挥积极作用。可持续认证作为应对资源保护与经济发展这一矛盾的较为有效的市场手段,经过近二十年的发展已经涵盖了农林牧渔领域的多个产品,在国际上的发展势头强劲,对于自然资源的保护和可持续利用发挥了对政府政策的补充作用。但可持续性认证在我国国内的企业和消费者中还没有得到广泛认识,其通过市场机制引导企业实践可持续经营、落实企业社会责任的作用在国内还没有得到有效的发挥。因此,本研究的目的是通过对可持续认证的分析,为在我国农林牧渔领域更好地发挥其市场推动力提出政策建议。本研究首先综述了可持续认证在国际上的发展历程、产生的影响,详细论述了森林、棕榈油、野生海产品等可持续认证已经在全球贸易中占有一席之地,并在欧美等较发达国家和地区获得了消费者的支持;其次,本研究对可持续认证在农林牧渔领域的进一步发展所面临的挑战进行了剖析,肯定了可持续认证在调动企业和消费者的积极性、推动农林牧渔领域资源保护方面的正面作用,也指出认证对资源保护的预期效果没有完全达到、同一产业内认证体系可靠性参差不齐,着重强调了可持续认证在发展中国家的发展面临的困难,使其对自然资源保护的应有效果受到影响。在此基础上,本研究分析了我国农林牧渔领域在资源利用方面面临的国际和国内压力,尤其是我国在国际贸易中举足轻重的地位和进口大宗产品产地的生态脆弱性使中国在全球资源的可持续利用和保护中可以发挥重要作用,论证了可持续认证在我国的推广有利于提升中国企业的国际形象、促进贸易杠杆发挥资源保护的撬动作用、保障企业在海外开发中的长期效益,同时也有利于我国国内自然资源的可持续利用,明确得出在我国农林牧渔领域推动可持续认证的必要性。本研究建议我国政府部门应关注农林牧渔领域可持续认证在国际和国内的发展,收集相关的信息和案例可用于相关的国际谈判和对企业的指导。同时政府应鼓励国内外认证体系在中国开展认证工作,并为同一产业中的不同体系创造公平的竞争环境。另外,政府应积极支持国内农林牧渔产业的企业、专家、协会等参与到国际认证体系的建立过程中,将中国可持续发展的良好操作范例或规范国际化。政府自身的消费行为对全社会有明确的引导作用,所以在政府采购中应优选可持续认证产品,引导企业加入可持续经营的实践。     

New Development in Study of the Faustmann Optimal Forest Harvesting

Abstract

Chinese forest resources have become very scarce in the face of rapid economic growth demand, while the reform of collective forest right system is in full swing across the country. It will directly affect the regeneration level of forest resources and the diverse ecological value functions. In this article, the mainstream model paradigm of forest economics, that is, the basic framework of the Faustmann model and its evolution process are made in a more detailed explanation, especially the extended model including considered silvicultural effort, tax subsidies, risk dynamic management, and forest regeneration factors are made in more detailed explanations. This article concludes with the future further research directions of forest economics, including the design of dynamic models that includes considered uneven-aged forest management, non-timber goods and services, dynamic forest models. The research reflects the general trend of interdisciplinary and cross-border.