Use of Farmers’ Indicators to Evaluate the Sustainability of Cropping Systems on Sloping Land in Yunnan Province, China

Diversity in the biophysical and socio-economic attributes of agricultural systems makes them uniquely niche based. Farmers are expert in local biophysical and socio-economic situations and can contribute in developing pragmatic indicators of agro-environmental development. During evaluation of an agricultural research project in Yunnan, China, local farmers were capable of evaluating the effects of modified technologies on existing cropping systems and discussed their attitudes to the interventions using their own indicators. Farmers＇ response can be grouped into seven major aspects： i） effects on income, ii） effects on production resources, iii） effects on crop management, iv） existing local knowledge about the technology, v） availability of inputs, vi） access to information, and vii） socio-economic conditions of farming households. Farmers concluded that environmental conditions in the experimental catchment in comparison to an adjacent untreated catchment were better in terms of soil and water losses, vegetation cover and natural resources, infrastructures and catchment management, use of environmentally-friendly technologies, and crop productivity. Success in soil and water conservation programmes depends on the efforts of the farmers and other local users and their greater involvement helps to identify more pragmatic indicators. Furthermore, it increases ownership of the programme, enhances interactions with the project scientists, increases farmers＇ awareness of ago-environmental problems and their possible consequences. These development will enable scientists to develop better targeted interventions and increase the likelihood of adoption of tested technologies by local communities. The use of paired adjacent catchments improved evaluation activities and is proposed as good practice for future catchment improvement programmes.

Immigration and Liberal Egalitarianism

My principal objective in this paper is to examine what position liberal egalitarians should take regarding the issue of immigration. Given that liberal egalitarians grant central importance to individual autonomy and the moral equality of all persons, their rejection of restrictive immigration policies appears to follow from these central normative commitments. Liberal egalitarians such as Joseph Carens and Phillip Cole have argued that those who are committed to individual autonomy and moral equality should advocate for an open borders position in immigration. I argue that it is a serious mistake for liberal egalitarians to advocate open national borders and that borders should instead be strategically regulated to reduce global economic inequalities through immigration policies systematically integrated into development programs for the poorest and most vulnerable countries. Open borders would create an open market for immigration slots to choice countries of destination, which out of practical necessity would have to delimit the number of new immigrants. It is well known in migration studies that those who are more educated, young, and have more resources are more likely to migrate than the very young, the elderly, the infirm, and the poorest individuals. Those left behind in developing countries suffer serious negative consequences from the emigration of the most highly educated, capable, and talented individuals in their society. I then argue that liberal egalitarians should grant particular moral consideration to the world＇s poorest and most vulnerable and that immigration policies strategically designed to prioritize their needs are actually more consistent with the dual commitments of individual autonomy and moral equality than an open borders position. I propose three principles of global justice that are consistent with liberal egalitarianism that should guide transnational moral obligations. I end the paper by arguing that two of these principles can be used to justify restricted immigration policies that would enable developed countries to partially discharge some of their moral obligations to developing countries while enhancing the autonomy of the world＇s most vulnerable people.

A New Theory About Teaching Philosophy

The aim of this paper is to elucidate the nature and viability of teaching philosophy establishing their impact on the construction of philosophy in developing countries such as Peru. This article is inserted in the context of the need to rethink the missed philosophy marked by Badiou who proposes two ideas and binding areas： Philosophy is a reflection on all that is in the infinite universe, including humans; and, being the reflection （thinking） an innate characteristic of the human being, then, in some way, we are philosophers. It follows two thoughts that philosophy is not taught or learned but is assumed in the measure of their level of education and knowledge. In such conditions, it is not the teaching of philosophy that which has to build philosophy or form ＂philosophers,＂ but is education. It is established, therefore, that between the philosophy and the education, there is a direct relationship in the sense that the first is based on the second and a good education is a prerequisite for the development of philosophy in a society condition. For this important reason, developing countries still do not have adequate conditions for sustained construction of philosophy because they have educational models that prevent it from radiating a good education to society. Being a good carrier of a good education philosophy, a poorly educated person has limitations to acquire of philosophical thinking. Therefore, these reasons are that in these countries, the teaching philosophy has proved to be unsuccessful. Being poor education in underdeveloped societies, where language skills and science are below international standards, it is easy to deduce that such societies are facing philosophy and devoid of conditions to form part of their cultures. Our hypothesis is that philosophy in a society cannot be built on the basis of the teaching of philosophy, but on the basis of a good education. The fact that in underdeveloped societies, as is the case of Peru, there is no philosophy in terms of what it means in modern times, is not because there is no teaching of philosophy but because there is archaic educational models. In these countries, the education model is anti-philosophical. Our approach is based on the education system prevalent in underdeveloped countries such as Peru, which is not feasible ＂teaching philosophy＂ to steadily build philosophy as part of national cultures, and instead it is necessary for the design and implementation of new models of education.

Long-Term Environmental Accounting on Civil Infrastructures in Developing Countries

This paper proposes the environmental burden and benefit assessment method, which contributes to the evaluation of public works, by considering a quantitative environmental impact. The method developed is applied for the Bangkok subway construction project, so that the environmental impact following the Bangkok subway construction work is evaluated on the basis of environmental accounting. As a result, it was possible to quantify the burden and benefits to the environment in the life cycle of the Bangkok subway. In addition by converting the burden and benefits of the Bangkok subway construction project into monetary terms and introducing the Economic Internal Rate of Return （EIRR）, it was possible to evaluate the subway construction project from an economic point of view.

Impact of insect-resistant GM rice on pesticide use and farmers' health in China

The economic benefits of insect-resistant genetically modified(GM) crops have been well documented, but the impact of such crops and the consequent reduction in pesticide use on farmers' health remains largely unknown. Through the analysis of the data collected from the physical examination from farmers in China, we show that GM rice significantly reduces pesticide use and the resultant not only visible but also invisible adverse effects on farmers' neurological, hematological, and electrolyte system. Hence, the commercialization of GM rice is expected to improve the health of farmers in developing countries, where pesticide application is necessary to mitigate crop loss.

The Applicability of Governance Theory in China

As an influential theory of social science, governance theory has played a prominent role in development studies over the last two decades. Because this theory originates from the Western society, Chinese academics have disagreed about its applicability in China, which has essentially different conditions in democracy, rule of law, and civil society from the western society. It is argued in this paper that Chinese scholars should neither take its applicability for granted based on the strong solicitude for the reality of China, nor conclude that the governance theory is not applicable in China based on rigid structural analysis. Jessop＇s Strategic- Relational Approach presents an enlightenment of practical value that actors＇ choice of strategies and actions needs investigating based on an objective understanding of the structural background. Under the existing political-administrative system of fragmented authoritarianism, C^a civil society has already developed into ＂a dynamic force outside the state system,＂ entitled to certain participation in public affairs. Such novel understanding is of great significance in developing both the study and practice of governance in China.