Strategic Agricultural Commodity Value Chains in Africa for Increased Food: The Regional Approach for Food Security

The challenge Africa faces the most is how to feed the 2.4 billion people in 2050. This will require a transformational agriculture. Africa doesn’t need subsistence agriculture, but rather agriculture linked to the market where market demand and the consuming habits are taken in consideration. Agriculture evolves in an environment where small holders are linked to markets (national and regional), where economies of complementarity and economies of scale are taken advantage of by producers and private sector. In short, Africa will need a paradigm shift to industrialise and commercialise its agriculture sector in order to increase food production, and income and to create jobs in and outside the sector. Africa needs agribusiness and agro-industries to domesticate the benefits of the sector, to create wealth in the sector and retain that wealth in the continent. Agricultural commodities regional value chains for increased food should be the target for Africa. The continent remains the region with the highest prevalence of under-nourishment. Since agriculture remains the mainstay of most African economies except the mineral producers, the sector deserves a close attention from leaders. It accounts for 65% of employment and 40% of Africa’s export earnings and accounts for 17% of the GDP. This shows how important the sector is. Agriculture needs to be seen as a conduit for farmers to get connected to markets, a conduit for revenue, for jobs and for transformation. Africa needs to come back on the international scene as food sufficient continent and even food exporter. This can be achieved only with a stable, productive agricultural resource base. Thus, achieving and sustaining food security and economic prosperity in Africa will require significant efforts to modernize the continent’s agriculture sector through injection of agribusiness and agro-industries and through the application of science and technology in agriculture. In essence, agriculture needs to be viewed as knowledge based entrepreneurial activity. Smart investments in agriculture will have multiplier effects for the whole economy and hence induce prosperity to other sectors. In recent years, a renewed focus on agriculture has been evident in policy and development agendas across the African continent. This paper outlines the status of agriculture, agribusiness and agro-industries in Africa, their role in the agenda of agricultural transformation and economic transformation and the focus on regional value chain to increase food production, transformation and trade. The paper adopts a new thinking in agriculture, which reflects a regional value chain approach. The author covers such issues as: need for agricultural transformation, the role of value chain in agricultural sector, the need for regional value chain for increased income and increased food, the role of markets and the common denominator of all, the regional integration to push forward the African agriculture agenda. Evidence shows that it is agricultural growth, through its leverage effects on the rest of the economy that typically enables poor countries, poor regions and ultimately poor households to take the first steps toward economic transformation. Therefore agricultural productivity, at the small holder’s level, has the potential to lift millions of Africa’s vulnerable out of poverty and provide sustainable jobs. Other factors, namely “the rapid urbanization” and “increased population growth”, are quoted to be of critical importance. Africa population is projected to double, attaining the 2.3 billion people mark over the next 40 years representing half of the globe’s total population. This could trigger competition for resources and can have devastating effects on natural resources if not rightly channelled.

Multisource Disaster Chain and Control in Regional Water Environment of the Dongjiang Lake in China

On the background of analysis on region water environment safety in the Dongjiang Lake of south-central China, the source of pollution of water environment and its control are studied. The concept of region environment disaster chain is put forward on the basis of combination study on the disaster chain theory and pollution problem in regional water environment. Through identification and analysis of pollution disaster resources in regional water environment of the Dongjiang Lake, the annual emission of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus (TP) and heavy metal (Cd, As, Pb) are counted. According to evaluation on structure proportion of contaminants in the Dongjiang Lake, agricultural non-point source is the uppermost pollution source, which accounted for 87.74% in total pollution load. Ammonia nitrogen, TP and COD are mainly contaminants accounted for 94.27% in total pollution load. By analyzing danger of contaminants in the lake, basic form of disaster chain of water environment pollution is built elementarily. It shows characteristics of branches and trunk basin disaster chain and embodies multisource disaster implication chain caused by human activities. Then, disaster resources chain-cutting methods for pollution prevention and control of regional water environment of the Dongjiang Lake are analyzed.

Research on the Innovation and Development of Regional Industrial Chain in the Context of Guangzhou-Foshan City

Based on the research on regional industrial chain innovation and development in the context of Guangzhou-Foshan City,this paper examines the industrial complementarity between Guangzhou and Foshan and finds that while Guangzhou-Foshan City is developing,there are still some issues,such as the homogenization and competition of industrial development,a lack of profound integration of industrial chain with innovation chain,and the need to optimize the innovative coordination system.Finally,it proposes some countermeasures to promote the innovation and development of Guangzhou-Foshan regional industrial chain from several aspects,including implementing regional advanced industrial base and modern industrial chain,promoting the deep integration of industrial chain with innovation chain,and optimizing the spatial layout of collaborative innovation.

SPATIAL-TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF REGIONAL CONVERGENCE AT COUNTY LEVEL IN JIANGSU

The dynamics of regional convergence include spatial and temporal dimensions. Spatial Markov chain can be used to explore how regions evolve by considering both individual regions and their geographic neighbors. Based on per capita GDP data set of 77 counties from 1978 to 2000, this paper attempts to investigate the spatial-temporal dynamics of regional convergence in Jiangsu. First, traditional Markov matrix for five per capita GDP classes is constructed for later comparison. Moreover, each region’s spatial lag is derived by averaging all its neighbors’ per capita GDP data. Conditioning on per capita GDP class of its spatial lag at the beginning of each year, spatial Markov transition probabilities of each region are calculated accordingly. Quantitatively, for a poor region, the probability of moving upward is 3.3% if it is surrounded by its poor neighbors, and even increases to 18.4% if it is surrounded by its rich neighbors, but it goes down to 6.2% on average if ignoring regional context. For a rich region, the probability of moving down ward is 1.2% if it is surrounded by its rich neighbors, but increases to 3.0% if it is surrounded by its poor neighbors, and averages 1.5% irrespective of regional context. Spatial analysis of regional GDP class transitions indicates those 10 upward moves of both regions and their neighbors are unexceptionally located in the southern Jiangsu, while downward moves of regions or their neighbors are almost in the northern Jiangsu. These empirical results provide a spatial explanation to the "convergence clubs" detected by traditional Markov chain.

Coordinating Regional Development as a Solid Foundation for Common Prosperity

Coordinating regional development is a key step for China to achieve the goal of common prosperity for all. From the era of the planned economy to the development,consolidation and improvement of the socialist market economic system after reform and opening up since 1978, as a key target of economic development, China has been committed to balancing regional development, and after decades-long explorations and relentless efforts made great progress. Coordinated regional development-as manifested in narrowed regional development gaps, more equal access to basic public services and eradication of regional absolute poverty-has paved the way for more substantive progress to be made in delivering common prosperity for all. Despite the progress, China still needs to further improve institutional systems for regional coordination and undergird the regional foundation for common prosperity according to the requirements of its new development stage. Specifically, China should focus on the following priorities:(i) Strengthen institutional infrastructure, smooth regional internal and external circulations, and develop a unified domestic market at a higher level;(ii) give full play to the role of the government in equalizing access to basic public services, promoting infrastructure connectivity and protecting basic living standards;(iii) optimize integrated urban-rural development mechanisms, take solid steps to revitalize the countryside, and further coordinate urban and rural development;(iv) improve the layout of the industrial chain and advance interregional industrial chain upgrade and social progress.

Characteristic of Rare EarthDistribution in Biologic Chains of RE-Rich Back-ground Regions

REE contents of water and vegetables, from two typical RE-rich background regionsand normal region in Gainan,Jiangxi Province, China, indicatethat REE contents are markedlydifferent in water and vegetables.There are average 0.03 mg·L-1and 0. 11 mg·L-1 REE in water ofA and B regions. As REE contentsof vegetables for A region are different from B region, it suggeststhat there are a lot of factors controlling REE distribution betweenvegetables. Comparing with thenormal region, soluble RE contentsin water of the RE-rich backgroundregions are factors of 68 and 18than that of the normal region.REE contents of the most plantsand crops in A and B regions arehigher than that in the normal region. It is clear that REE are theindispensable elements of plantsduring their growing period. Asthere are unusually higher REEcontents of some plants in A and Bthan in the normal regions, it isconsidered to result from absorbingREE passively during the period ofplants and crops growing up.

Cloning, sequencing and analyzing of the heavy chain V region genes of human polyreactive antibodies

The heavy chain variable region genes of 5 human polyreactive mAbs generated in our laboratory have been cloned and sequenced using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. We found that 2 and 3 mAbs utilized genes of the VHIV and VHIII families, respectively. The former 2 VH segments were in germline configuration. A common VH segment, with the best similarity of 90.1 % to the published VHIII germline genes, was utilized by 2 different rearranged genes encoding the V regions of other 3 mAbs. This strongly suggests that the common VH segment is a unmutated copy of an unidentified germline VHIII gene. All these polyreactive mAbs displayed a large NDN region (VH-D-JH junction). The entire H chain V regions of these polyreactive mAbs are unusually basic. The analysis of the charge properties of these mAbs as well as those of other poly- and mono- reactive mAbs from literatures prompts us to propose that the charged amino acids with a particular distribution along the H chain V region,especially the binding sites (CDRs), may be an important structural feature involved in antibody polyreactivity.

Regional Disparities of China's Economic Development during 1992-2013——Based on DMSP/OLS Nighttime Lights Data of Cities

Balanced regional development is essential to China's economic stability and efficiency and achievement of the goal to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Based on the DMSP/OLS nighttime lights data of 291 cities at or above prefecture level during 1992-2013, this paper examines the regional disparities and trends of Chinese mainland's economic development. The findings are as follows:(1) During sample observation period, China's overall regional disparities generally declined despite some volatility; China's intra-regional disparities have been curbed yet a consistent framework for inter-regional economic coordination is lacking.(2) Southern coastal region contributes a significant share to China's overall regional disparities as the developed cities of Guangdong Province did not create a significant spatial spillover effect on neighboring regions.(3) According to the result of spatial Markov transition probability estimation, spatial factor has played a remarkable role in the evolution of China's regional economy and proximity to high-level regions will accelerate a region's transition toward higher levels.

营商环境、产业转移与区域协调发展

营商环境已成为推进产业转移和区域协调发展的关键变量。高度重视优化中西部地区营商环境、鼓励东部地区产业向中西部迁移而不是向海外转移,对推动比较优势在东部和中西部之间的转化、促进产业转型升级和区域协调发展,具有积极的实践价值。现阶段,全球产供链重组要求着力提升产业链供应链韧性和安全水平,这就需要通过提升中西部地区的竞争优势,让一些产业循环留在国内,增强中国在全球产供链体系中的自主可控能力。同时,全国统一大市场建设要求中央做好区域协调的战略准备,将过去地方政府依靠创造优惠政策洼地参与区域竞争,转变为创造更好更优的营商环境、建设高标准市场体系。为此,需要加快推进实施市场取向的竞争政策;需要让中国的产业政策转型为中央主导型,促进地方产业政策转向鼓励公平竞争和效率竞争;需要通过再造市场规则、融资环境、政府服务环境、司法环境、公共服务平台等,多管齐下改善中西部地区营商环境。

京津冀科技创新与产业协同发展研究

京津冀协同发展战略实施十年以来,京津冀地区在科技创新与产业协同发展方面取得诸多进展,致力于打造全国科技创新高地,构建分工合理的创新发展格局,但仍然面临创新资源分布失衡、创新能级差距过大、北京创新辐射带动作用不足、创新链与产业链不匹配、先进制造业集群化建设不完善等问题。为此,应立足和巩固京津冀协同发展的积极成果,根据京津冀创新基础和现状格局,建立起创新链和产业链有效衔接的体制机制,以实现“强化协同创新和产业协作、在实现高水平科技自立自强中发挥示范带动作用”的新要求。

全球产业链发展的新趋势与对策建议

全球新一轮科技革命和产业变革蓬勃兴起,大国竞争日益剧烈,新冠肺炎疫情突发等因素,形成对全球产业链的多重冲击,全球产业链的布局不再以成本导向为主,产业安全将成为重要的考量因素。全球产业链迅速收缩、调整和重构,呈现出区域化、绿色化、数字化的新发展趋势,将给中国产业发展带来诸多新挑战和新机遇。现阶段,亟须调整中国产业链发展策略,顺应全球产业链发展的新趋势,构建以我为主的区域产业链,并积极拓展绿色化、数字化的发展模式,提升中国在全球治理体系中的地位,增强话语权、主导权和影响力。

交通改善、产业链贸易与区域生产网络

理论上,交通改善能够促进企业间贸易与产业间的分工合作,进而形成区域乃至全国性生产网络。本文利用福建省企业增值税发票数据构建了产业链关联变量,考察了高速公路对省内企业间产业分工与产业链形成的影响,有以下发现:首先,高速公路促进了企业的产业间销售,加深了与产业链企业的贸易联系,并提升了销售对象的产业多样性;其次,上游企业贸易对下游企业贸易有显著推动作用,而且上述结果在考虑内生性以及可能产生估计偏误的情形下保持稳健;最后,对不同产业以及生产网络中心度的异质性分析发现,交通改善对制造业下游的产业影响强于服务业,而且高速公路能够带动生产网络中的弱势产业,从而降低网络的结构失衡。

无信控交叉口驾驶人潜在危险感知能力评估

为量化无信控交叉口驾驶人潜在危险的感知能力,组织驾驶人实车驾驶试验,实时采集驾驶人眼动特征参数。解析熟练和非熟练驾驶人直行通过无信控交叉口模式下的扫视和注视规律,引入马尔科夫链模型,阐释驾驶人注视转移特性,揭示驾驶人视觉搜索与潜在危险感知特性的内在联系。结合熟练和非熟练驾驶人各映射指标下的统计学分析,萃取驾驶人潜在危险感知能力表征参数。基于灰色近优综合评价法,构建驾驶人在无信控交叉口场景下的潜在危险感知能力评估模型。研究表明:直行条件下,无信控交叉口下非熟练驾驶人的水平搜索广度、垂直搜索深度和扫视强度显著低于熟练驾驶人;相较于熟练驾驶人,非熟练驾驶人兼顾道路两侧信息的能力较弱,且注视概率的适时调配机制不够灵活;熟练驾驶人在无信控交叉口的潜在危险感知得分比非熟练驾驶人高31.2%;熟练驾驶人中,男性潜在危险感知能力明显强于女性,而性别对非熟练驾驶人感知绩效无显著影响。研究结果可丰富防御性驾驶相关理论体系,为无信控交叉口交通设施的优化和完善,驾驶人安全教育及评估等提供重要参考。

技术密集型产业区域产业链建构路径研究

签署《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP)等自由贸易协定,不仅能够提高成员国间货物、技术、投资、人员往来频率,也可为域内国家技术密集型产业自主发展提供重要机会。然而,构建区域自主产业链存在技术创新资源、全产业链资源、大市场资源开发利用不足,政策及市场资源组织调配能力发挥不充分,各环节价值累积减少等问题。为此,针对技术密集型产业区域产业链建构的关键要素与实现路径,采取案例研究方法,对我国新能源汽车产业东亚地区产业链建构过程进行研究,从创新链、产业链、价值链、企业培育及市场拓展角度分析其形成机制。研究发现,我国新能源汽车区域产业链建构经历基础技术攻关、国内市场及产业链培育、国内外区域产业链及产业集群建立3个阶段;政策、创新链及产业链协同发展,形成政策主导到市场主导、国内创新链到区域协同创新体系、传统产业到区域产业链的全路径。研究可为具有特定产业结构和产品特性的技术密集型产业实现区域产业链建构提供理论框架和实践启示。

中国—东盟区域价值链的塑造与挑战

当前,美国通过地缘政治手段介入亚洲区域价值链重构,试图构建以美国为核心、依托日韩盟友与链接东盟国家的战略价值链,其本质上延续了里卡多式增长模式。在美国战略价值链塑造中,东盟将是美国战略布局中取代中国的关键角色。而在大国博弈争夺价值链主导权的背景下,中国—东盟区域价值链的塑造将保障中国式现代化发展道路下中国的区域中心地位,不仅是中国与东盟共同塑造亚洲发展与繁荣的重要举措,同时也是亚洲区域经济突破传统增长模式壁垒,未来迈向熊彼得式增长的关键一步。实证分析表明,中国与东盟具有深厚的政治经济合作基础,中国与东盟在亚洲区域价值链的发展中链接日趋紧密,推动了亚洲区域价值链的地位提升与影响力扩大。但不可忽视的是,全球价值链重构、美国战略价值链构建、中国在“双向挤压”下转型升级等系列挑战,也将影响未来中国—东盟区域价值链的塑造。由此,中国与东盟必须通过紧密合作,寻找符合新一代区域价值链的发展推进路径,通过产业链链接和关键技术领域合作实现突破,进而塑造中国—东盟区域价值链合作的熊彼得式增长,以应对共同的地缘政治挑战。

RCEP框架下的区域价值链构建及可能路径

通过测算全球价值链参与的相关指标,刻画RCEP框架下各国的增加值贸易现状并重点考察了中国在区域价值链中的地位演变;同时,深入剖析了RCEP协定中原产地区域累积制度、投资促进规则和电子商务、知识产权保护相关条款对于促进区域产业链深度融合的积极意义。为加快构建RCEP框架下的区域价值链,中国应有效利用区域大市场,推动中国价值链地位跃升;加强产业政策配套实施,积极应对产业链竞争;推进RCEP与“一带一路”倡议互动发展,加大区域产业链空间整合范围;依托自贸试验区优势对接高水平国际经贸规则,为加入CPTPP提供助力;抓住数字经济发展机遇,推进数字贸易规则的完善。

区域数字贸易规则与全球数字价值链

数字贸易规则体系是国际贸易规则领域的核心议题,也是新一轮国际竞争的焦点。区域数字贸易规则在推动全球价值链向数字化转型的过程中,可能会对全球价值链倡导的多边贸易体系产生影响。本文基于区域数字贸易规则条款特征构建数字贸易规则指标,研究其对全球数字价值链的影响。研究发现,区域数字贸易规则通过降低贸易成本、减少贸易壁垒和完善数字贸易网络机制显著提高了各经济体参与全球数字价值链的增加值。进一步分析发现,区域数字贸易规则具有显著的区域主义特征,呈现邻近偏好,更有利于发达国家和新兴经济体参与全球数字价值链。本研究对我国加快推动构建兼顾效率与公平的新型数字贸易规则体系,提升我国在全球数字价值链的竞争力具有重要的参考作用。

以产业链政策为中心扎实推动中部地区崛起

产业链政策是基于产业链现代化目标由其他各种相关经济政策合成的综合性经济政策。实施全方位、系统性、合成式的产业链政策,有利于协调产业政策与区域政策之间的内在冲突,重塑我国国内垂直分工体系,推动中部地区加快发展新质生产力,形成具有竞争力的区域创新产业集群与全球产业链集群。以产业链政策为中心推动中部地区崛起,可以按照“点、线、面、体”四位一体的思路,重点打通在东中西三大地带建设现代化产业链、促进区域间经济循环的堵点与卡点,推动建设区域间产业链的协调机制,兼顾效率与公平,推动建设区域创新产业集群与全球产业链集群。

区域贸易协定对全球价值链参与度的影响——基于区域贸易协定深度水平的视角

针对全球价值链分工日益深化与区域贸易协定(RTA)不断增加的局面,在测算全球价值链参与度的基础上,利用WTO区域贸易协定数据库的资料,参照对RTA条款深度的划分,实证检验了RTA对经济体全球价值链参与度的影响。整体上,RTA对经济体的全球价值链参与度具有显著促进作用,但不同深度水平的RTA影响效应有所差别。其中,“WTO+”比“WTO-X”条款对经济体价值链参与度的影响更大,且RTA对发展中经济体价值链地位提升的影响大于发达经济体。地理距离、区域竞争在RTA对经济体价值链参与度影响中发挥着一定的调节作用。地理距离越近,RTA对价值链分工参与度的影响越大;RTA达成得越早,越有利于发挥RTA建立的竞争优势,保护本经济体在其他经济体的市场地位。机制检验表明,RTA可通过降低关税壁垒和促进对外投资推动经济体价值链地位的提升。