Are gender inclusiveness and rural transformation interlinked?The case of Bangladesh

Gender inclusiveness is important in the rural transformation process of Bangladesh as rural women play key roles in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.Gender inclusiveness also leads to gender equity.We empirically evaluate relationships between rural transformation and gender inclusiveness in Bangladesh.We consider three rural transformation indicators:high-value commodities’share in agricultural output values,non-farm employment’s share in rural labor employment,and non-agricultural GDP’s share in total GDP.Indicators capturing gender inclusiveness include the per capita rural income of males and females,ratio of investments into gender programs,female access to education,access to healthcare,employment participation,land ownership,and asset ownership.We test the effect of the difference in per capita rural income of males and females and the ratio of their incomes and check for the robustness of the gender variables across different model specifications.Analyzing 128 district-level observations from 32 districts of Bangladesh across four time periods(2000,2005,2010 and 2016),we use both ordinary least squares and fixed effects panel regression models.We find that female land and asset ownership and access to education and healthcare are robust determinants of various stages of rural transformation.Thus,our results suggest that improving women’s ownership of land and assets and investing in women’s education and healthcare will likely contribute to a more inclusive rural transformation.

Rural transformation,income growth,and poverty reduction by region in China in the past four decades

China has experienced rapid rural transformation in the past four decades.Accompanying the rapid transformation is a significant rise in rural household income and a substantial fall in rural poverty.This paper examines the evolutions of and the relationships between rural transformation(high-value agriculture and rural non-farm employment)and its outcomes(per capita rural income and rural poverty incidence)using provincial-level data.The results show that 31 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities have undergone significant rural transformation,but the level and speed of rural transformation differed considerably.Moreover,an increased level of rural transformation is often associated with higher per capita rural income and reduced rural poverty incidence.Notably,a category of provincial rural transformation based on high-value agriculture and rural non-farm employment is also analyzed.We further discuss the likely impacts of institutions,policies,and investments(IPIs)on rural transformation and conclude with policy implications.

Developing strategy for rural transformation to alleviate poverty in Pakistan:Stylized facts from panel analysis

Sustainable income growth and poverty reduction remain critical challenges at the forefront of research in Pakistan,particularly in rural areas.To overcome these challenges,the role of rural transformation(RT)has emerged and gained importance in recent years.The present study is based on district-level data and covers the period from 1981 to 2019.The study attempts to quantify the role of rural transformation in boosting rural per capita income and alleviating rural poverty in the country.The study also aims to explore the impact of stages of rural transformation on rural per capita income and rural poverty alleviation.The empirical findings reveal that rural transformation(RT_(1)and RT_(2))is essential in enhancing rural per capita income and alleviating rural poverty.The role of the share of high-value crops(RT_(1))is more pronounced than the share of non-farm employment(RT_(2))in boosting rural per capita income and poverty alleviation.The trend of larger contribution of RT_(1)to enhance rural per capita income also continued at 2nd stage of rural transformation.In the case of poverty reduction,at 3rd stage of rural transformation,the role of RT_(2)is dominant.Our results indicate that districts at higher stages of rural transformation(both RT_(1)and RT_(2))tend to correlate positively with increased rural per capita income and reduced poverty rates,suggesting that progress in rural transformation is associated with improved economic conditions.However,it is important to note that this correlation does not necessarily imply a direct causal relationship between rural transformation and these economic outcomes;other factors may have influenced this relationship.In addition,the welfare impacts are more noticeable among the districts where a simultaneous shift from grain crops to cash crops and from farm employment to non-farm employment is observed.The study provides baseline information to learn experiences from fast-growing districts and to replicate the strategies in other districts,which boosts the RT process that may increase rural per capita income and enhance poverty reduction efforts.

Gender and rural transformation:A systematic literature review

Rural transformation can improve poverty reduction,living standards,and health outcomes in developing countries.However,impacts associated with rural transformation vary by region,household,and individual trait(including gender).While research on rural transformation has been increasing over the last decade,there has been no comprehensive review conducted on the relationships between gender and rural transformation.Here,we conduct a systematic literature review to investigate the impacts of rural transformation on gender and the influence of gender inclusiveness on rural transformation.We reviewed 82 studies from 1960-2021 that explore the relationships between rural transformation and gender.We then developed a framework that captures incidences and flow directions between indicators.Results show that most studies examined the impacts of rural transformation on women and between gender indicators.Few investigated the role of women and the influence of gender inclusiveness on rural transformation.Overall,studies showed that rural transformation typically leads to positive outcomes for women regarding employment,income,and empowerment.However,negative impacts on women’s control over income,stability of new income sources,and access to healthy food are also common.Tailoring future development policies and programs to explicitly account for gender inclusiveness can lead to more successful rural transformation.

A review of rural transformation studies:Definition,measurement,and indicators

The paper reviews studies of rural transformation in three dimensions-definition,measurement,and indicators-and summarises the findings of rural transformation research.The scope of rural transformation includes four elements-productivity,rurality,inclusiveness,and sustainability.Current concepts of the dimensions of rural transformation and their associated indicators are insufficient for policy decision-making,as they lack objectivity,feasibility,accountability,comprehensiveness,and comparability.Future research to develop new measures to assess rural transformation in developing countries is valuable.Furthermore,there is potential to explore the topic in some directions:urbanisation strategy,public intervention(i.e.,institution,policy,and investment),gender inclusiveness,market creation,and international trade.

Regional rural transformation and its association with household income and poverty incidence in Indonesia in the last two decades

Increasing rural household income and reducing poverty rank among Indonesia’s top development priorities.Promoting rural transformation is one strategic policy framework to achieve these goals.In the last three decades,agricultural production has shifted from low-value food crops to high-value commodities,such as horticulture,estate crops,and livestock.Previous studies have analyzed rural transformation in Indonesia at the national level,but information on the magnitudes of impact across regions remains scarce.This study aims to analyze the changes in rural transformation at a regional level in the past two decades.The research utilizes secondary data from Statistics Indonesia(BPS),covering 34 provinces from 2000 to 2020,analyzed using descriptive and panel data regression analyses.The results show an increasing trend in the share of high-value agriculture(RT_(1))and rural non-farm employment(RT_(2)).Both RT_(1)and RT_(2)are positively associated with the growth of rural household income and a lower poverty rate.However,the speed of structural transformation(ST),RT_(1),RT_(2),rural income growth,and poverty reduction vary across regions.This research implies that improving rural income and reducing poverty should be done by integrating policies,i.e.,promoting highvalue agriculture and expanding rural non-farm employment.Particular attention should also be given to provinces with slow growth in ST,RT_(1),RT_(2),and rural household income.

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.

Actual Value of Rural Cultural Auditorium Construction from the Perspective of Social Transformation:A Case Study of Wenzhou City

From the perspective of social transformation,this paper analyzed the actual value of the construction of Wenzhou rural cultural auditorium,and it was found that it has important value in promoting the transformation of rural culture,economy,and grassroots governance.The construction of rural cultural auditorium is helpful for improving the present backward status of rural public cultural service supply,and promoting the integration and development of rural culture and urban culture;cultivating new rural economic entities,injecting action force for rural economic transformation and development;providing space guarantee for citizen participation in rural grassroots social governance,and is favorable for enhancing the awareness of public participation in rural grassroots governance.However,in the context of comprehensive rural revitalization,the value of cultural auditorium construction has not yet been fully realized.It is necessary to further enhance its value in rural social transformation from three aspects:auditorium construction,daily activity undertaking,and residents'participation in cultivation.

Process and cause of urban-rural development transformation in the Bohai Rim Region, China

China＇s reform and opening-up policy has brought the country a great development opportunity. The high-speed growth of the economy not only led China to a period of industrialization, urbanization, informatization and agricultural modernization, but also exacerbated the situation of the urban–rural dual structure. Based on the review of current studies, we first used the analytic hierarchy process（AHP） method to evaluate the urban–rural development and transformation level by population transformation index, land transformation index, industrial transformation index and social transformation index between 1996 and 2012 around the Bohai Rim Region. Then, based on the results of each index, we used the exploratory spatial data analysis（ESDA） method to investigate the spatial autocorrelation of the change in the urban–rural development transformation index during the 16-year period using Global Moran＇s I index and Local Moran＇s I index. Finally, we investigated the mechanism of change of the urban–rural development transformation index at county level, summarizing five main factors：（1） the radiation from the surrounding big cities,（2） the acceleration of the urbanization process,（3） the upgrading of the industrial structure,（4） the publishing and implementation of a macro development strategy and regional policy, and（5） natural factors such as topology.

Land consolidation： An indispensable way of spatial restructuring in rural China

The implementation of new type industrialization and urbanization and agricultural modernization strategies lacks of a major hand grip and spatial supporting platform, due to long-term existed ＂dual-track＂ structure of rural-urban development in China as well as un- stable rural development institution and mechanism. It is necessary to restructure rural pro- duction, living and ecological space by carrying out land consolidation, so as to establish a new platform for building new countryside and realizing urban-rural integration development in China. This paper develops the concept and connotation of rural spatial restructuring. Basing on the effects analysis of industrialization and urbanization on rural production, living and ecological space, the mechanism of pushing forward rural spatial restructuring by carry- ing out land consolidation is probed. A conceptualization of the models of rural production, living and ecological spatial restructuring is analyzed combining with agricultural land con- solidation, hollowed villages consolidation and industrial and mining land consolidation. Fi- nally, the author argues that a ＂bottom-up＂ restructuring strategy accompanied by a few ＂top-down＂ elements is helpful for smoothly pushing forward rural spatial restructuring in China. In addition, the optimization and restructuring of rural production, living and ecological space will rely on the innovations of regional engineering technology, policy and mechanism, and mode of rural land consolidation, and more attentions should be paid to rural space, the foundation base and platform for realizing urban-rural integration development.

The coupling characteristics and mechanism of farmland and rural housing land transition in China

Land use transition refers to the changes in land use morphology （both dominant morphology and recessive morphology） of a certain region over a certain period of time driven by socio-economic change and innovation, and it usually corresponds to the transition of socio-economic development phase. In China, farmland and rural housing land are the two major sources of land use transition. This paper analyzes the spatio-temporal coupling characteristics of farmland and rural housing land transition in China, using high-resolution Landsat TM （Thematic Mapper） data in 2000 and 2008, and the data from the Ministry of Land and Resources of China. The outcomes indicated that： （1） during 2000-2008, the correlation coefficient of farmland vs. rural housing land change is -0.921, and it shows that the change pattern of farmland and rural housing land is uncoordinated; （2） the result of Spearman rank correlation analysis shows that rural housing land change has played a major role in the mutual transformation of farmland and rural housing land; and （3） it shows a high-degree spatial coupling between farmland and rural housing land change in southeast China during 2000-2008. In general, farmland and rural housing land transition in China is driven by socio-economic, bio-physical and managerial three-dimensional driving factors through the interactions among rural population, farmland and rural housing land. However, the spatio-temporal coupling phenomenon and mechanism of farmland and rural housing land transition in China are largely due to the ＂dual-track＂ structure of rural-urban development.

土地整治助推乡村发展转型的机制与成效识别

China's rural territory is entering a critical stage of transformation and development.Promoting rural development and transformation is an important path to achieve rural vitalization,and land consolidation is expected to become the starting point to boost rural transformation.To clarify the internal relationship between land consolidation and rural development transformation is an important scientific proposition.This paper constructs a theoretical framework of rural land consolidation(RLC)affecting rural development transformation(RDT),and analyzes the historical evolution process and characteristics of RLC and rural development in China.Based on government interviews and household surveys,this paper analyzes the impact of RLC on RDT under different geographic types and different consolidation models from a multi-subject perspective,and empirically tests the effects using the econometric model.China's rural land consolidation has also gradually transformed to multi-type and multi-functional comprehensive consolidation.The results show that there are many explicit and implicit mechanisms of the influence of RLC on RDT in China,such as mechanism of promotion of industrial development,mechanism of integration of development factors,mechanism of urbanization and mechanism of urban-rural interaction.And the results of different modes of RLC impact on RDT are different.Farmers have a high degree of support and satisfaction with RLC since RLC has improved their production and living conditions as well as household and village income.Besides,the effects of various types of RLC on RDT are positive.The authors argue that constructing human-land early warning mechanisms,optimizing the layout and performance evaluation of RLC and promoting multi-type development and multisystem coordination of RLC can elevate the effect of RLC on RDT.This paper provides reference for scientific decision-making of RDT from the perspective of RLC.

Rural restructuring in China： Theory, approaches and research prospect

Rural restructuring is a process of reshaping socio-economic morphology and spatial pattern in rural territory in response to the changes of elements both in kernel system and external system of rural development, by optimally allocating and efficiently managing the material and non-material elements in the two systems. It aims at ultimately optimizing the structure and promoting the function within rural territorial system as well as realizing the coordination of structure and complementation of function between urban and rural territorial system. This paper establishes a theoretical framework of rural restructuring through elabo- rating the concept and connotations as well as analyzing the mechanism pushing forward rural restructuring based on the evolution of ＂elements-structure-function＂, and probes the approaches from the three aspects of spatial restructuring, economic restructuring and social restructuring. Besides, the authors argue that the study of rural restructuring in China in the future needs to focus on the aspects of long-term and multi-scale process and pattern, mechanism, regional models, rural planning technology system and standard, policy and institutional innovations concerning rural restructuring as well as the impacts of globalization on rural restructuring, in order to serve the current national strategic demands and cope with the changes of rural development elements in the process of urban-rural development transformation.

土地利用转型与乡村空间治理——机制、框架与展望

The pattern for utilization of rural space is closely related to rural transformationdevelopment (RTD). The problem of rural space utilization is an important manifestation of theuncoordinated relationship between land use patterns and rural development status during atransformation period. Considering the rural space utilization issue, this article seeks to analyzethe interaction mechanisms between land use transition (LUT) and rural spatial governanceand then build a rural spatial governance analysis framework based on LUT. Also, thepaper explores the internal relationship between rural spatial governance and rural vitalizationand discusses the research prospective of the interaction. The study found that: (1) Ruralspace utilization has systemic problems such as limited development space, ill-defined ownershipand poor organization, which have become important obstacles for rural development.(2) The uncoordinated relationship between LUT and RTD is an important reason for the dilemmasurrounding rural space utilization. (3) The LUT provides a basis for determining thetiming of rural spatial governance, specifying spatial governance objectives, and clarifyingrural spatial governance methods. (4) The construction of a comprehensive analysis frameworkof “matter-ownership-organization” of rural space based on the LUT has created conditionsfor the orderly promotion of rural spatial governance. (5) Rural spatial governance whichfacilitates the integration of urban-rural development is an important foundation for rural vitalization.(6) Interaction analysis of LUT, RTD and rural spatial governance is conducive tofacilitating research on the operational mechanism of rural regional systems and to expandingthe research field of rural geography.

在过去的十年和未来前景在中国关于城市农村的转变和农村开发的研究进行

Urban-rural transformation and rural development are issues at the forefront of research on the topic of the urban-rural relationship in the field of geography, as well as important practical problems facing China＇s new urbanization and overall planning of urban and rural development. The Center for Regional Agricultural and Rural Development, part of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was established in 2005. The Center has laid solid foundations for integrating research in the areas of agricultural geography and rural development in China over the past decade. The paper aims to review the major achievements in rural geographical research in China during the past decade, analyze innovative developments in relevant theories and methods, and suggest prospects and countermeasures for promoting comprehensive studies of urban-rural transformation and rural geography. The research shows that innovative achievements have been made in rural geography studies of China in the past decade as major national policy development, outputs of result and decision making support; new breakthroughs have been achieved in such major research projects as geographical integrated theory, land remediation projects and technology demonstration projects, new urbanization and urban-rural integration; significant progress has been made in actively expanding the frontiers of rural geography and pushing forward theoretical innovations in land and resource projects; and, with China＇s development goals of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieving modernization in mind, future innovative developments in agricultural and rural geography should aim to make research more strategic, systematic, scientific and security-oriented, with attention given to promoting systematic scientific research on international cooperation and global rural geography.