Rural Development Transformation and Social Governance from the Perspective of Specialization:A Case Study of Ruiling Village in Guangzhou City,China

The reorganization of the global production network and the increased mobility of urban-rural elements have accelerated the differentiation of rural spaces,resulting in a trend towards specialization in rural areas.This paper focuses on the concept of specialization,and takes a renowned bonsai specialized village in Guangzhou City,China as a typical case to explore its transformation and development process,action logic and coupling mechanism with the social governance.The results show that:1)the development of rural specialization in Ruiling Village is shaped by several key actors,such as local governments,grassroots organizations,villagers,social organizations,policies,markets and infrastructure.The transfer of these key actors and the reconstruction of actor-networks in different stages have an important influence on the transformation and realization of rural development goals.2)Through subjects-driven,organization management and resource connection,social governance supports the specialization of rural industrial organization,operation,technology and mode.The governance structure shifts from decentralization to networking,refinement and integration.A coupling community of social governance and specialization is created by the social governance system of‘local government-grassroots organizationseconomic cooperatives-villagers’,which links industries,industrial chains and cooperatives.3)Social governance integrates into the value chain extension process of rural specialized development with a central,multi-level organizational structure.It promotes the construction of the whole value chain through organizational planning,resource integration and image shaping,thus realizing the value,branding and organization of the industry,as well as the integration of rural sustainable development and governance mechanism.Social governance has a profound impact on the development of rural specialization in terms of subject,structure and mode,and participates in the construction of the whole value chain of rural areas.This paper provides a new perspective for understanding the coupling effect of social governance in the rural development transformation,and promotes the rural sustainable development and governance.

Assessing the Contribution of Ecotourism to Economic Growth and Rural Development Offered by Wildlife Resources to People Living in Communities around Matusadonha National Park

Ecotourism is one of the major drivers of economic growth and rural development in many countries involved in wildlife resource management.The objective was to assess the contribution of ecotourism to economic growth and rural development offered to people living in communities around Matusadonha National Park.A total of 140 participants were interviewed and questionnaires were administered to the same number of people.Data were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods.Results show that the majority of participants(57%)were females.Safari operations were the major(54.7%)ecotourism activity in Matusadonha National Park.Above half(58.8%)of participants indicated that ecotourism contributed toward economic growth in communities around Matusadonha National Park.Most people(343)were employed on a part-time basis from 2000 to 2022.Participants indicated that the standard of living in most communities increased by more than 50%.Above 50%of participants were satisfied with the contribution of ecotourism towards rural development.It can be concluded that ecotourism has the potential to improve economic growth and rural development if close monitoring and accountability of funds are monitored closely.Local people should be included in the accountability of funds and management of wildlife resources to improve economic benefits to local people.

Appraisal of typical rural development models during rapid urbanization in the eastern coastal region of China

The sustainability of regional rural development depends on the integrated status and the coordination between rural resources-environment conditions and rural socioeco- nomic development. In this paper a diagnostic indicator system is proposed to appraise four representative rural development models such as Mentougou model, Taicang model, Yueqing model and Qionghai model in the eastern coastal region of China from the integrated perspective of population, resources, environment, and development. In conclusion, the formation and evolution of these diverse rural deveJopment models are the direct response to the very different characteristics in the environment, market demand, and regional culture. These models are common in that their sustainability depends on the scientific guidance of the regional development functional positioning, strong intra-regional interactions, and self-adaptability to the external conditions.

Changing Rural Development Inequality in Jilin Province, Northeast China

Rural development inequality is an important practical issue during the course of full establishment of a ′moderately well-off society′ in modern China,and the objective understanding and evaluation of the status and regional inequality of rural development can provide scientific basis for ′building a new countryside′ and coordination development of rural-urban regions.Based on the county-level data of 2000,2005 and 2009,this paper examines the rural development inequality of Jilin Province in Northeast China by establishing a rural development index.The spatio-temporal dynamic patterns and domain factors are discussed by using the method of exploratory spatial data analysis and multi-regression model.The results are shown as follows.Firstly,most of the counties were in lower development level,which accounted for 58.3%,62.5% and 66.7% of the total counties in 2000,2005 and 2009,respectively.The characteristics of spatial inequality were very obvious at county level.For example,rural development level of Changchun Proper and the proper of seven prefecture-level cities were much higher than that of the surrounding regions.The counties in the eastern and northern Jilin Province were the lowest regions of rural development level,while the middle counties were the rapid growth areas in rural economy.Secondly,Moran′s I of rural development index(RDI) was 0.01,–0.16 and –0.06 in 2000,2005 and 2009,respectively,which indicated that spatial agglomeration of RDI was not obvious in Jilin Province,and took on the characteristic of random distribution.The counties of both the units and its adjacent units have higher development level(HH) were transferred from the western areas to the eastern areas,while the countries of both the units and its adjacent units have lower development level(LL) were diffused from the eastern to middle and western Jilin Province.Finally,the result of multi-regression analysis showed that the improvement of agricultural production condition,development of agricultural economics and the adjustment of industrial structure were the domain factors affecting rural development inequality of Jilin Province in the later ten years.

Coping with Pressures of Modernization by Traditional Farmers: a Strategy for Sustainable Rural Development in Yunnan, China

Traditional farming practices conform to sustainable rural livelihoods, while agricultural modernisation tends to undermine these practices through various perturbations. A case study in Tengchong County (western Yunnan, China) shows that transformation of traditional alder (Alnus nepalensis) and dry rice (upland rice) rotational farming to introduced Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) plantations leads to localised water scarcity and soil fertility decline. While farmers are aware of ecological sustainability of traditional farming, they prefer Chinese fir forestry because it is less labour-intensive, has a high market value, and releases time for profitable off-farm work. Farmers adapt to economic liberalization by planting high value crops and trees. However, alternatives to make local agricultural production more profitable through competitive business strategies, cooperative approaches, innovations in integrating high value crops and 'downstream' processingfor sustainable rural livelihoods have been overlooked largely due to poor information availability and lack of organisational framework.

The Role of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in Rural Development in the Karakorum, Hindu Kush & Himalayan Region: Examples from the Northern Mountainous Belt of Pakistan

Pakistan is predominantly a mountainous country where rural development activities are characterised by inconsistency, politically motivated short-term projects without proper feedback. Since the inception of the country, the top-down approach has been followed, and the same development plans that were formulated for the plain areas have been extended to the mountains without any modification. In doing so, neither the participation of the local communities was cared for, nor the mountain specificities were considered in the planning process. Moreover, the representation of the local inhabitants was improper and contradictory to the facts. This biased approach has been one of the main causes for the failure of development projects carried out by different agencies of the Government. Contrary to the perception of the state authorities, the mountain communities proved to be more open to accept new approaches and demonstrated the capacity and capability of being a dependable development partner. In this paper, a detailed account of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme （AKRSP） has been presented to assess and evaluate the approach followed by this non-governmental organisation （NGO）, and the response of the local inhabitants as collaborators in the development process. The achievements of the AKRSP from project planning, implementation and monitoring can be adopted as a model for rural development not only in the plains, but also in the mountainous areas of the developing countries in the world.

Rural Development Evaluation from Territorial Function Angle:a Case of Shandong Province

Rural territorial function follows the trend to develop from agricultural production space to a complex of cultural heritage,food security,social stability,quality of living,etc.Based on the rural area＇s territorial function to both urban and rural areas and its evolution law,index system of rural development evaluation,covering rural production function,rural consumption function,regional sustaining function,and individual development function were constructed in this paper.Case study based on Shandong Province and entropy method showed that the rural development in Shandong Province was neither stable nor orderly,and some of rural territorial functions were under fluctuation.The simulation result was close to the actual situation in rural areas of Shandong Province,and therefore,it would provide some experience for scientific evaluation of rural development in other regions.In the end,policy suggestion to cope with rural function transition was provided,namely further promoting the rural economic development,and breaking away from various factors that restricted the value realization,natural increment,and equitable distribution of rural production factors,and therefore,it would receive a sustainable rural development.

Spatial Strategy for Quality Labor in Rural Development——A Case Study of Jiangsu Province, China

This study examines the issue of high-quality labor in rural enterprises of China. It develops a spatial strategy which consists of two dimensions: geographical space and administrative space. Different combinations of these two dimensions form a variety of approaches such as local internalization, local externalization, regional/national inter- nalization, and regional/national externalization. In the local internalization approach, rural enterprises hire such high-quality labor and ask them to work on site, while in the local externalization approach, rural enterprises seek help from employees working in other local enterprises. In the regional/national internalization approach, rural enterprises set up research and development centers in big cities to take advantages of the high-quality labor pool there. Finally in the regional/national externalization approach, rural enterprises hire people from big cities on temporary contracts. Three approaches, hiring retired technical workers, shuttling between the rural site and country seats, and setting up R&D centers in big cities are demonstrated through cases in Zhangjiagang, a leading county-level city in the southern Jiangsu Province. It is argued that rural enterprises need to broaden their perspectives of administrative space and geographical space and think creatively to deal with the shortage of quality labor in rural settings.

Considerations on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Dryland Areas

Drylands of the world cover 41%of the Earth＇s land surface and are a direct source of livelihood for 6.5 billion people, especially in developing countries. However, nearly all drylands are at risk of land degradation as a result of human activities. Poverty and desertification in dryland areas are major problems threatening sustainable agriculture and rural development in dryland areas. Several topics that are significant for sustainable agriculture and rural development for food security and environmental rehabilitation in dryland areas were stressed in this paper.

Rural development with environmental sustainability

Rural development is a broad and meaningful concept. It means not only economic growth butalso changes towards a better direction in economic structure , social structure , relation between human soci-ety and environment, and even political structure. Present development should not damage the environmentbut leave the same or an improved natural resource endowment as a bequest to the future. This is the devel-opment with environmental sustainability. In this paper the characteristics of rural development were reex-amined, and what environmental sustainability means and how to measure it were explicitly presented. Prac-tical approaches for achieving environmental sustainability were also given with some cases from China.

Agricultural Higher Education for Sustainable Rural Development in Turkey

Agriculture in Turkey has been playing a significant role in Turkish economy and agricultural sectors are the most important provider of employment. Additionally, agriculture is major income source for farmers in rural areas and education level positively effects their income level and productivity. Agricultural faculties, institutions and agricultural extension services are mainly responsible for farmers＇ education in Turkey. The mission of agricultural education is to provide education for young people to prepare them for life and also work for rural community. Also, the agricultural education is responsible for the development of practical and theoretical knowledge of people in rural areas with disseminating information and new technologies. Basic field studies on the national qualifications framework for higher education of Turkey has been determined by a working group of deans formed by the CoHE under the Bologna process. Sixty programs on agriculture, forestry and fishery were identified at the faculties. A small working group formed among the deans of the agricultural faculties founded ZIDEK accreditation society to accredited programs at the agricultural faculties. Also a report was prepared by another working group to recommend worldwide programs to the agricultural faculties in Turkey. Mass media plays an important role for disseminating the agricultural innovations to rural areas. In this respect, the primary goal of Turkey is the improvement of welfare of farmers in order to sustain rural development. For this aim, handicraft training centers to diversify the rural economy, agricultural publication services of MoFAL distribute publications in order to disseminate information and new technologies, Widespread Education Project for Farmers （YAYCEP） has been started and within the scope of the project producers who live in rural areas, education and extension services and projects for woman farmers and other extension studies have been carried out under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock in collaboration with 26 agricultural faculties in Turkey.

Actual Aspects of Rural Development Strategy and Policy in the European Union

The objective of the work is to define and evaluate the normative approach in the programming and implementation of rural development in the European Union countries. Main focus is to determine the objectives and methods of implementation and achieve these objectives in various ideological documents, strategies, programs, and development policies. The present work was created on the basis of documents and publications by community bodies and institutions as well as open literature on this subject. The study presents ways of defining rural areas, strategies, and development programs in Europe （Lisbon Strategy, Europe 2020 Strategy）, tasks of major Community policies towards rural areas （common agricultural policy, cohesion policy）, Cork ideological declarations, multifunctional development concepts and smart development. Innovative approaches include the concept of smart city, smart village, smart specializations of regions, and the urban-rural partnerships.

Cultivation Model of New Farmers under the Urban Rural Development: A Case Study of Guangdong Province

Different from traditional farmers, new farmers refer to the high-quality farmers who are educated and skilled, and have the capability of operating. Cultivation of new farmers is a key factor of developing rural human resources, and also the lasting power for the new countryside construction. Guangdong Province has witnessed rapid urbanization and industrialization, and local farmers have been faced with the competition with foreign quality talents and the pressure of survival. Against the background of new countryside construction, this paper studied the supply-demand situation and problems of traditional farmers in Guangdong Province, explored education and cultivation model of new farmers and innovation mechanism, which is signifi cant for improving the innovation level of Guangdong, and promoting the urban-rural coordinated development.

Payment for Ecosystem Services Markets and Rural Development in BrazilmA Co-evolutionary Approach

The article discusses the payment for ecosystem or environmental services markets in Brazil with a critical review, based on the ecological economics literature and focused on the concept of co-evolution. It is argued that the mainstream approach which considers ecosystem services as an externality has many shortcomings and fails to consider institutional and political aspects---all very critical for the design and implementation of a PES （Payment for ecosystem services） project or program. The complexity and the diversity of co-evolutionary relations between ecosystem services and socioeconomic activities are spatially or territorially specific. In this sense, different types of PES market have to adapt and coevolve with different ongoing development processes.

Migrant Laborers in China and Their Contributions to Rural Development

This paper will look at the importance that the migrant labors in China are doing today. The main question posed in this paper is “how migrant labors in China are contributing to rural development？”. Furthermore, the paper will answer the following sub-questions： （1） Is migration an important factor in the development of rural areas？ （2） Can migration bridge the poverty gap between urban and rural areas？ The objectives of this paper are the following： （1） to identify the migrant labors contributions in China’s rural development; （2） to look into the importance of migration for the rural Chinese; and （3） to know and analyze the problems that migrant workers in China are facing in relation to their migratory work. Furthermore, this paper posits that migrant labors in China are contributing to rural development through their remittances, their investments, and the new knowledge and techniques that they acquired in the urban areas which they share in their home areas. In addition to that, this research looks at the migrant labors’ remittances, their investments, and the new knowledge and techniques that they acquired in their home areas as their contributions to rural development.

China’s Rural Development in the 14^(th) Five-Year Plan Period

The 14^(th) Five-Year Plan period(2021-2025)is a critical transition for China’s social and economic development.After achieving moderate prosperity and eradicating absolute poverty in 2020,China will embark upon a new journey towards an affluent society with rural revitalization replacing poverty eradication as a new priority of government agenda on agriculture and rural affairs.In the 14^(th) FYP period,China should increase rural prosperity in all respects,modernize agriculture and the countryside,address food security challenges,raise farmers’incomes,and roll out rural reforms.

Themes in Corporate Social Responsibility （CSR） and Rural Development Thinking： 1950s-2000s

This paper describes a brief overview of both corporate social responsibilities （CSR） and rural development （RD） ideas since the last 50 years. It aims at comparing and contrasting the both （CSR and RD） thoughts, and searches an initiative to expand the sustainable development achievement. Using secondary data from libraries studies, the progress of each thought will be identified to find out its advantages and weaknesses. Then, the result showed that the timeline perspectives come up with the conjunction idea of sustainability. In order to be more sustainable in development, then, the idea of CSR--as a tool for gaining sustainability in RD--should be transformed into ＂social business＂ approach. Here, there is a change in the time of taking decision about profit from ＂the last to the first＂. The paper contains four sub-topics： （1） definition and progress of CSR; （2） change in RD themes; （3） CSR, RD and social business; and （4） transformation of CSR to social business. The process of transformation from CSR to social business should include following agenda： （1） tailoring public-private partnerships to the local context; （2） providing resources, horizon and commitment; and （3） encouraging further innovation. This new position requires a shift in corporate law as well as establishing good corporate governance.

Assessment of rural sustainable development and analysis and prediction of obstacles and coupled coordinated development:A case study of Zaozhuang City

In China,the Innovation Demonstration Zone for the National Sustainable Development Agenda is a key initiative for executing the United Nations(UN)2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.The Zone also plays critical roles in addressing the developmental bottlenecks that China faces and sharing Chinese insights into global sustainable development efforts.On July 15,2022,the State Council endorsed the Zone’s establishment in Zaozhuang City,Shandong Province,where it focuses on innovation-led sustainable development in rural areas.Research into the levels,impediments,interdependencies,and evolutionary trends of rural sustainable development is crucial.Therefore,this research aimed to assist in comprehensively assessing developmental challenges and facilitating the harmonious advancement of social,economic,and environmental aspects in rural areas.In pursuit of the three fundamental dimensions of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),namely development’s drivers,quality,and equity,this study was grounded in China’s national Rural Revitalization Strategy and the demands of sustainable development strategies.It also aligns with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated SDG indicators.Focusing on four key areas,namely production elements,natural elements,social elements,and rural governance,this study developed an evaluation index system for assessing the level of rural sustainable development.It employed a range of analytical models,including the game theory-based combination empowerment method,barrier degree model,coupling degree model,coupling coordination degree model,and gray prediction GM(1,1)model,to analyze the status and evolving trends of rural sustainable development in Zaozhuang City from 2015 to 2022.The key findings were as follows:①Relative to the baseline year 2015,the sustainable development level in Zaozhuang’s rural areas has shifted toward an improved state overall.②The primary barrier to achieving rural sustainable development in Zaozhuang is the city’s rural governance system.③While the components of rural sustainable development in Zaozhuang are in the early stages of both basic and moderate coordination,an overall enhancement has occurred in their integrative coordination.④Between 2023 and 2025,the level of integrative coordination in Zaozhuang is expected to rise steadily.However,reaching a state of advanced coordination will require additional time for development.

Ethnic Customs and Rural Tourism Development in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County of Fushun City

The development of ethnic minority tourism is currently a hot topic in domestic tourism development.As an important component of Chinese civilization,the Manchu people have created brilliant culture in the long river of historical development.As the hometown of the Manchu people,Fushun has unique folk cultural tourism resources and a strong ethnic flavor.Nowadays,under the promotion of the rural revitalization strategy,the construction of new rural areas is constantly developing,and rural tourism is gradually becoming a new industry.Therefore,in the context of the increasingly prosperous rural tourism industry,it has become increasingly important to combine the ethnic customs of Manchu culture with rural tourism.Taking the ethnic customs and integrated development of rural tourism in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County of Fushun City,Liaoning Province as the research object,this paper mainly sorts out the current situation and characteristics of rural tourism development in the region,systematically explores the problems in development and how to further optimize development,and proposes new models suitable for the development of folk tourism in Xinbin of Fushun,in order to achieve maximum economic and social benefits and provide a reference for promoting the development of tourism in the region.

Circulation of Development Factors Promoted by Innovation of Land Management Under Background of Rural Vitalization:A Case Study of Tengtou Village in Zhejiang Province,China

Land is the space carrier for the existence and flow of other development factors.Activating rural land and promoting the circulation of other development factors through land management innovation is necessary to realize rural vitalization.This paper identifies the connotation of factor flow in the rural vitalization context,the action mechanism of land management innovation to boost the flow of development factors,the issues and obstacles restricting factor circulation,and the realization mechanism of the flow of development factors in rural vitalization.Based on the analytic paradigm constructed in the paper,the successful practice of promoting the flow of development factors through innovative land management in a model village is examined.The results show that:1)the unreasonable systems characterized by the land use system in rural areas are the main obstacles causing circulation issues in development factors.It is essential to engage in comprehensive reform to break down these long-lasting obstacles to the smooth flow of development factors.2)The land should play a leading role in the circulation of development factors in the background of rural vitalization;the main purpose of land management innovation is to activate the land factor,thereby promoting the circulation of other factors.3)The activated land factor will act as a‘trigger’to promote capital and technology in rural settings and use capital and technology to attract the inflow of talents and the return of migrant workers,whereby the population factor will act as a‘catalyst’for the cultivation of rural culture,bringing about the integration of various development factors.4)The innovation of land use and management,increased funding,and new technologies have brought multiple talents to Tengtou Village.The high-frequency mutual feedback between the village’s own and the external development factors resulted in its successful integration of industrial development.