While conventional family-owned and family-operated farms remain the most common structure, the number of Japanese agricultural corporations has increased in recent years as a result of changing policies. Some of them...While conventional family-owned and family-operated farms remain the most common structure, the number of Japanese agricultural corporations has increased in recent years as a result of changing policies. Some of them are possibly starting to adopt modem corporate management practices to remain viable in a more competitive environment. However, changes in the business structure have not always been accompanied by changes in farm management practices. This study represents a theoretical and empirical investigation into farm modernization practices to provide perspective and recommendations to enhance farm business. Various aspects of farm modernization were considered, including temporal, economic and functional modernization. Critical elements of farm modernization were examined using a structural equation model of surveys, wherein questionnaires were delivered to 2,260 agricultural corporations across Japan in 2014 and 2016, generating 669 usable responses from rice farming corporations. Overall, these corporations demonstrated moderate degrees of modernization, indicating that they have not yet completely transitioned from conventional management styles to modem corporate management and that the farm-household complex system still exists for many of them. It was also found that farm modernization is significantly affected by both production and business management systems, although it was unclear whether a farmer＇s managerial capabilities were critical for farm modernization. The findings of this study indicate that current farming corporations may benefit from incorporating additional modernization practices. The analytical framework and results will help farmers to better understand their management practices and can be used to provide ideas for policy development to promote competitive farm businesses.展开更多
Based on the synergetic development of new industrialization, rapid urbanization and agricultural modernization(IUAM), and from the viewpoint of interactive relationships between water resources and regional populatio...Based on the synergetic development of new industrialization, rapid urbanization and agricultural modernization(IUAM), and from the viewpoint of interactive relationships between water resources and regional population, eco-environment, economy and society, the concepts of water resources intensity(WRI), water environment intensity(WEI), water resources relative efficiency(WRRE) and water environment relative efficiency(WERE) are defined with reference to energy intensity, resources efficiency and environment efficiency theory. On the basis of benchmarking theory, the quantitative characterization and evaluation method of "Three Red Lines"(the upper limit of water resources allocation, the baseline of utilization efficiency of water resources and the upper limit of sewage discharge) is proposed. According to these concepts and models, an empirical analysis of the Three Red Lines of water resources on the Chinese mainland between 2003 and 2012 was carried out. The results showed that total water consumption in eastern, central and western parts of China possesses "club convergence" characteristics, which means these areas have similar internal conditions appeared convergence in the development. Inter-provincial differences in water consumption continue to decrease, but the north–south differentiation characteristics in the eastern and central regions were still relatively obvious, while provincial differences in the eastern part were at a minimum and the central region had the largest. Water Resources Efficiency(WRE) of all four sectors in the Southwest rivers and Huaihe River basins were generally high. Industrial WRRE in the Songhua River, Yangtze River and Pearl River basins, agricultural WRRE in the Songhua River, Yellow River and northwestern river basins and domestic WRRE in the Liaohe River, Yangtze River and Pearl River basins were all low. Eco-environmental WRRE in the southeastern rivers and Yangtze River basins were low but showed an upward trend. Other river basins, except for the Northwestern rivers basin, had high eco-environmental WRRE with a downward trend. Western China, especially the northwestern part,had a low relative intensity of the water environment(WERI) and high integrated water environment management(IWEM) performance, but the relative intensities of the water resources(WRRI) were fairly high, and the comprehensive performance of integrated water resources management(IWRM) in these regions was low. In southern China, especially the southeastern part, the IWEM was fairly high, but the overall IWRM was lower.展开更多
文摘While conventional family-owned and family-operated farms remain the most common structure, the number of Japanese agricultural corporations has increased in recent years as a result of changing policies. Some of them are possibly starting to adopt modem corporate management practices to remain viable in a more competitive environment. However, changes in the business structure have not always been accompanied by changes in farm management practices. This study represents a theoretical and empirical investigation into farm modernization practices to provide perspective and recommendations to enhance farm business. Various aspects of farm modernization were considered, including temporal, economic and functional modernization. Critical elements of farm modernization were examined using a structural equation model of surveys, wherein questionnaires were delivered to 2,260 agricultural corporations across Japan in 2014 and 2016, generating 669 usable responses from rice farming corporations. Overall, these corporations demonstrated moderate degrees of modernization, indicating that they have not yet completely transitioned from conventional management styles to modem corporate management and that the farm-household complex system still exists for many of them. It was also found that farm modernization is significantly affected by both production and business management systems, although it was unclear whether a farmer＇s managerial capabilities were critical for farm modernization. The findings of this study indicate that current farming corporations may benefit from incorporating additional modernization practices. The analytical framework and results will help farmers to better understand their management practices and can be used to provide ideas for policy development to promote competitive farm businesses.
基金National Basic Science Personnel Training Fund,No.J1103408National Key Basic Research Program of China(973 program),No.2013CB956503
文摘Based on the synergetic development of new industrialization, rapid urbanization and agricultural modernization(IUAM), and from the viewpoint of interactive relationships between water resources and regional population, eco-environment, economy and society, the concepts of water resources intensity(WRI), water environment intensity(WEI), water resources relative efficiency(WRRE) and water environment relative efficiency(WERE) are defined with reference to energy intensity, resources efficiency and environment efficiency theory. On the basis of benchmarking theory, the quantitative characterization and evaluation method of "Three Red Lines"(the upper limit of water resources allocation, the baseline of utilization efficiency of water resources and the upper limit of sewage discharge) is proposed. According to these concepts and models, an empirical analysis of the Three Red Lines of water resources on the Chinese mainland between 2003 and 2012 was carried out. The results showed that total water consumption in eastern, central and western parts of China possesses "club convergence" characteristics, which means these areas have similar internal conditions appeared convergence in the development. Inter-provincial differences in water consumption continue to decrease, but the north–south differentiation characteristics in the eastern and central regions were still relatively obvious, while provincial differences in the eastern part were at a minimum and the central region had the largest. Water Resources Efficiency(WRE) of all four sectors in the Southwest rivers and Huaihe River basins were generally high. Industrial WRRE in the Songhua River, Yangtze River and Pearl River basins, agricultural WRRE in the Songhua River, Yellow River and northwestern river basins and domestic WRRE in the Liaohe River, Yangtze River and Pearl River basins were all low. Eco-environmental WRRE in the southeastern rivers and Yangtze River basins were low but showed an upward trend. Other river basins, except for the Northwestern rivers basin, had high eco-environmental WRRE with a downward trend. Western China, especially the northwestern part,had a low relative intensity of the water environment(WERI) and high integrated water environment management(IWEM) performance, but the relative intensities of the water resources(WRRI) were fairly high, and the comprehensive performance of integrated water resources management(IWRM) in these regions was low. In southern China, especially the southeastern part, the IWEM was fairly high, but the overall IWRM was lower.
