Coupling between the Grain for Green Program and a household level-based agricultural eco-economic system in Ansai,Shaanxi Province of China

The implementation of the Grain for Green Program(GGP)has changed the development track of the agricultural eco-economic system in China.In response to the results of a lag study that investigated the coupling between the GGP and the agricultural eco-economic system in a loess hilly region,we used a structural equation model to analyze the survey data from 494 households in Ansai,a district of Yan’an City in Shaanxi Province of China in 2015.The model clarified the direction and intensity of the coupling between the GGP and the agricultural eco-economic system.The coupling benefits were derived through linkages between the program and various chains in the agricultural eco-economic system.The GGP,the agroecosystem of Ansai and their potential coupling effects were in a state of general coordination.The agroecosystem directly affected the coupling effect,with the standardized path coefficient of 0.87,indicating that the agroecosystem in Ansai at this stage provided basic material support for the coupling between the GGP and the agricultural eco-economic system.The direct path coefficient of agroeconomic system impacted on the coupling effect was-0.76,indicating that partial contradictions occurred between the agroeconomic system and the coupling effect.Therefore,although the current agroecosystem in Ansai should be provided sufficient agroecological resources for the benign coupling between the program and the agricultural eco-economic system,agricultural development failed to effectively transform agroecological resources into agricultural economic advantages in this region,which resulted in a relative lag in the development of the agricultural economic system.Thus,the coupling between the GGP and the agricultural eco-economic system was poor.To improve the coupling and the sustainable development of the agricultural eco-economic system in cropland retirement areas,the industrial structure needs to be diversified,the agricultural resources(including agroecological resources,agricultural economic resources and agricultural social resources)need to be rationally allocated,and the chain structure of the agricultural eco-economic system needs to be continuously improved.

A Socioeconomic and Productive Characterization of the Value Chain of Goldenberry (<I>Physalis peruviana</I>) in Ecuador

The fruits and vegetables sector in Ecuador despite its gradual growth in local and international markets has captured the interest of state institutions and academic centers who have focused their studies on agronomic aspects of non-traditional products without considering socioeconomic, productive and performance problems;such is the case of goldenberry value chain. To this extent, the aim of this article was to present an analysis of goldenberry value chain in Ecuador through the identification of stages, agents, flows and activities (primary and support) from the socioeconomic and productive point of view for which a systematic methodology was used involving aspects of the agroeconomic process. As a result, it was determined that goldenberry value chain in the production and postproduction stages requires the diversification of marketing channels, the implementation of refrigerated storage modules located in the supply centers, the strengthening of associative and/or cooperative structures;and the productive planning programs to provide a potential competitive advantage.

Synergic Relationship between the Grain for Green Program and the Agricultural Eco-economic System in Ansai County based on the VAR model

Understanding the synergic relationship between the Grain for Green Program(GGP)and the agricultural eco-economic system is important for designing an optimized agricultural eco-economic system and developing a highly efficient structure of an agricultural industry chain and a resource chain.This study used Ansai County time series data from 1995 to 2014,applied vector autoregressive(VAR)models and used tools such as Granger causality,impulse response analysis and variance decomposition,to explore the synergy between the GGP and the agricultural eco-economic system.The results revealed a synergic and reciprocal relationship between the GGP and the agroeconomic system.The contribution of the GGP to the agroecosystem reached 34%,which was significantly higher than either its largest contribution to the agroeconomic system(20.8%)or its peak contribution to the agrosocial system(26.7%).The agroeconomic system had the most prominent influence on the GGP,with a year-round stable contribution of up to 55.3%.These results were consistent with reality.However,the impact of the GGP on the agricultural eco-economic system was weaker than the effect of the agricultural eco-economic system on the GGP.The lag of variable stationarity after the shock was relatively short,indicating that optimal coupling had not formed between the GGP and the agricultural eco-economic system.On the basis of enhancing the ecological functions,we should construct the agricultural industry-resource chain such that it focuses on promoting the effective utilization of resources in the region.In addition,the development of a carbon sink industry can be used to manifest the ecological values of ecological functions.