粮农安全视角下金融支持甘肃国家育种产业核心区稳健持续发展的思考、实践与路径选择

国无粮不稳,民以食为天,农业是国民经济发展的保障,种业是农业赖以存续的根本,在粮食安全形势日益严峻的大背景下,全面推进种业振兴刻不容缓。本文选取金融支持甘肃种业发展为研究对象,从甘肃在国家种业战略布局中的特殊地位和关键作用入手,交代了研究背景和意义,并对近年来学界关于金融支持种业发展的相关研究成果进行了梳理,分析了金融支持甘肃种业发展的具体实践以及金融支持种业发展面临的现实困难和问题,并从探索建立互助性金融组织、加快完善风险保障机制、拓展涉农信贷增信方式、加大种业国际贸易金融支持力度、谋求种业发展政策合力、加快优化涉农主体不良处置方式六个方面就金融支持种子制造核心产区发展的有效路径提出了相关政策建议。

调整产业结构:保障粮农安全与粮食安全

“三农”问题最主要体现在粮食主产区的粮农增收难上。调整产业结构是粮农脱贫的唯一路径选择,也有人担心会影响粮食安全。认真考核保障粮食安全需要量,彻底变革粮食主产区的经济增长方式,让其有规模效益的种粮大户成为粮食生产的主体,无规模经营能力的农户除了进城务工主要种植经济作物或搞养殖业,实现粮食生产、粮农增收两不误,是保障粮农安全与粮食安全的双赢机制。

食品应用型人才培养与粮农食品安全评价职业技能培训融合途径的分析及对策

以海南热带海洋学院为例,在深刻理解“1+X”证书制度内涵的基础上,剖析地方应用型本科院校中在实施粮农食品安全评价职业技能培训过程中存在问题,从保障教学资源,构建“厚基础、重应用、强实践”课证融通的课程体系,构建校企协同人才培养机制,培养高素质双师型队伍等4个方面提出应对措施,推进食品应用型人才培养与粮农食品安全评价职业技能培训融合途径。

粮农食品安全评价“1+X”证书“岗课赛证”四位一体研究与实践

基于《国家职业教育改革实施方案》《职业教育提质培优行动计划(2020—2023年)》和《关于推动现代职业教育高质量发展的意见》3个文件的要求,以粮农食品安全评价“1+X”证书为例,通过分析粮农食品安全评价“1+X”证书当前面临的问题,全面阐述了粮农食品安全评价“1+X”证书“岗课赛证”四位一体的状况,构建起“岗课赛证”四位一体的发展模式,提出粮农食品安全评价“1+X”证书“岗课赛证”融合对该证书发展的作用与意义,为同类型涉农涉粮职业院校推行该证书提供借鉴。

1+X证书背景下书证融通的实施路径——以食品智能加工技术专业为例

为提高学生的职业素养和就业创业能力,培养出高素质食品智能加工复合型技术技能人才,阐述1+X证书制度试点工作背景下粮农食品安全评价职业技能等级证书的内涵,对书证融通的可行性进行分析,并从育训结合的模块化课程体系重构、校企融合的“双师型”师资队伍构建、虚实结合的实验实训教学体系建立、多元参与的人才评价体系创建4个方面提出书证融通的具体实施路径,进一步落实推进1+X证书制度.

The Scale of Constructing Mountainous Cities in Yunnan Province based on “Benchmark” Farmlands

In 2011, Yunnan provincial committee and government proposed the strat- egy of constructing mountainous cities in order to protect farmlands and guarantee crop safety, which makes full use of hills and gentle-slopes and transforms land use pattern. However, social and economic development performs unevenly in Yun- nan, supplemented by varied geographical conditions, so that constructing mountain- ous cities should proceed as per local conditions. The research proposed the con- trol of constructing mountainous cities provided crop safety under the principle of farmland protection and measured the quantities of demanded construction lands ac- cording to science of population prediction and ekistics, based on which the control scales of constructing mountainous cities were determined by multiplying basic farm- land coefficient and the area of newly increased construction lands. The research is of significance for guiding the construction of mountainous cities and avoiding the occupation of construction lands on farmlands.

Women as a Key to Agriculture and Food Security in Sudan： The Case Study of Northern Kordofan State

In the rural areas where most of the world＇s hungry people live, women produce most of the locally consumed food. Their contribution could be much greater if they had equal access to essential resources and services, such as land, credit, and training. In Sudan, women have always been active in agriculture and food security, constituting 17% to agricultural labor force. However, culture coupled with imperfections of official data underestimates their contribution. Accordingly, this study was carried out in the western part of Sudan, namely, North Kordofan State in order to identify and assess the role of women in agriculture and food security and identify the main factors and constraints affecting their contribution to agricultural production in the state. The findings confirm that women contribute 74% to the monthly agricultural income, 65% to total income, 62% to the labor work, and 65% to the household activities. Their average daily working hours are 14, while, those of men are only 8. The study suggests that the removal of the obstacles those women face could increase their contribution to and enhances the livelihood of the people in the state. Hence, a review to the relevant government policies is needed, so that women are empowered by improving their access to resources and credit.

Integrating Crops-Tree Systems with Outgrower Schemes and Food Security

Outgrower Schemes have been implemented in different parts of the world to provide wood to forest and other companies and as income alternatives for farmers in rural areas. They have been considered by some researchers and practitioners as important advances in the area of planted forest and promoted by governments and forest companies in partnership with rural farmers and communities. Considering the importance of subsistence crops and forest products to smallholders and consumers and the economic viability of agroforestry, attention is given in this paper to Outgrower Schemes that combine tree planting with agroforestry, to contribute to food security and environment preservation in developing countries. The issue of Outgrower Schemes through integrated crops-tree systems was raised in a previous study of Outgrower Schemes in Brazil, commissioned by the FAO1. This paper examines, based on the research done for that study, the views and perspectives of the companies＇ personnel, the tree growers that participate in the programs studied, and other stakeholders＇ related institutions involved in such schemes with regard to the promotion of Outgrower Schemes through integrated crops-tree systems, linking them with agroforestry, which is a way those Outgrower Schemes can contribute to food security and environment preservation goals.

Land Suitability Assessment and Landuse Planning： A Prerequisite for Food Security and Climate Change Adaptation

Though Ghana＇s crop yield growth rate was at 17%, 5% of every 1.2 million Ghanaians have insufficient and limited access to nutritious food. Climate change and climate variability have enormously affected the state of agricultural productivity and hence could result in food insecurity. As many ongoing projects use Boolean suitability analysis, land use planning, management recommendations sores, it still remains inadequate to support rural resource poor farmers. This then, is affecting livelihood and agricultural productivity. In this paper, a geostatistical quantitative method to support a geographic information system （GIS） based on multi-criteria decision support system （GMCDSS） for an enhanced land suitability assessment （LSA） and landuse planning （LP） was devised. Project findings indicated that, recommended farm inputs could be estimated and applied accordingly at farm plot levels Soil amendment indicators （e.g., 1.0 t/ha lime ＋ 1.0 t/ha gypsum was estimated for liming） was quantified and currently, farmers can save money in soil fertility management. It has shown that, instead of applying 5.0 t/ha poultry manure （PM） or five bags of N-P-K fertilizer （rate of 15： 15： 15 N-P2O5-K2O/ha） ＋ two bags of sulphate of ammonia （SA）, a farmer may apply 2.0 t/ha PM ＋ two bags 15：15：15 N-P2O5-K2O/ha ＋ one bag of SA. GMCDSS assessment has proved to be fundamental in： （1） urban planning; （2） ensuring food security; （3） poverty reduction and interventions to the effects of climate change and climate variability.

Conversion Margins for the Major Uses of Agricultural Land and Their Variations in Shandong Province, China

It is of practical significance for the decision-making on country food security and farmland protection to analyze the conversion margins for the major uses of agricultural land and their variations. Based on the panel data of wheat, corn, vegetable, fruit, and forests productions from 520 investigated farmer households of 13 investigated villages in Shandong Province from 2003 to 2009, and using Cobb-Douglas production function, the revenue conversion margins can be obtained separately, between different grain-crops （wheat, corn） and different non-grain crops （vegetable, fruit, forests）, and the conversion relationship between growing grain（ wheat, corn） and going out for non-farm work. The results show that from 2003 to 2009, growing wheat and corn are more economically and reasonably for farmers, compared with growing vegetable, but growing wheat and corn are becoming less economically and less reasonably day by day, compared with planting forests. Moreover, the conversion margin between wheat and fruit shows obvious scissors difference. Just from 2007, farm- ers＇ growing fruit became economically and reasonably, but until 2009, compared with going out to work after abandoning farm- land, growing wheat had no economic rationality. From 2003 to 2009, farmers＇ growing corn is more profitable than growing fruit and going out for non-farm work after abandoning farmland. The subsidies for wheat and corn have increased farmers＇ comparative income from food production remarkably, but the subsidies cannot change the general tendency that farmers transform food （wheat, corn） production into non-food （especially forests） production. The revenue difference between growing wheat, corn and vegetable and growing fruit and forests is being pulled ceaselessly bigger, and the tendency that farmers transform wheat, corn and vegetable growing lands into fruit and forests growing lands has become increasingly apparent.

Agricultural development and food security： The way out of crisis

The purpose of this study is to elicit how investments in agricultural development and food security would safeguard the Virgin Islands （BVI） and the Caribbean, by extension, from future global crisis. History shows that agriculture played a significant role in the rise of civilization globally and was the main contributor to the Caribbean economy before the 1950＇s. Overall, it was determined that the BVI population, in general, is desirous of more investment opportunities within the agricultural sector, to assist with the alleviation of poverty at the national level, to advance economic development and trade across the region and to make sustainable development more attainable for the Caribbean, as a whole. To do this, agricultural development and food security must become the focal point of the BVI and other Caribbean economies. Accordingly, the paper recommends that investment within the agricultural sector be undertaken more aggressively across the region. The mixed research approach method was used to validate these claims.

Challenges of Women Contributing to Food Security in Ghana： Perspectives of Women Farmers in Northern Ghana

Women contribution to all the four pillars of food security （food availability, accessibility, utilization, and sovereignty） has been well established in Ghana and many sub-Saharan African countries. However, the issue of sustainability of their contribution to the food security equation is still a dilemma. This study therefore examined the challenges and vulnerabilities associated with women farmers in accessing and controlling land for sustained agriculture in Northern Ghana. The study was mainly qualitative and utilized various participatory dialogue processes including focus group discussions and key informant interviews of selected women farmer groups, individual farmers, opinion leaders and traditional authorities in eight communities across four districts in three regions of Northern Ghana. The data was analysed thematically. Results of the study showed that women are disadvantaged in all the possible means of acquiring land for agricultural production-- inheritance, marriage, rent, shared cropping, outright purchase, and gift. It was evident that women have appreciable levels of access to land, but have low level of control of such lands for sustained food production. Several factors, such as low income, socio-cultural factors, climate change, mining, urbanization, low level of education, and low levels of awareness of property and inheritance rights, associate women＇s vulnerability to limited land in the study area. The findings of the study imply that any policy geared toward women empowerment in agriculture must not only target their access to land but also consider enhancing their control over agricultural land. The study therefore recommended that in order to increase food production and security in the study regions, there is the need to strengthen women＇s capacity to defend their land tenure rights and enhance their access and control over land within the context of natural resource management.

The Effect of Family Planning Methods on Food Security in Oyo State, Nigeria

This study affirms the effect of family planning on rural household food security. The major thrust of this research identified socio-economic characteristics of respondents, various family planning methods used, benefit of use and factors influencing household food security in the study area. The research was carried out in 4 Local Government areas （LGAs） of Oyo state, where five communities each were randomly selected from the LGAs. A total of 272 households were sampled from the 20 communities. Descriptive and multinomial logit regression were used to analyse data collected. Findings revealed that 64.4% of the respondents were female, mean age was 40 years; about 80% of them were married and most of them had formal education with average of 10years spent in school. Result further revealed that that most of the respondents adopt artificial method of family planning. Sex, marital status of respondent, number of children; primary occupation, traditional method, natural method and artificial method of family planning were the factors influencing household food security status. It was recommended that rural household should be enlightened on the advantages of the use of family planning to improve their household nutritional intake level as well as standard of living.

Goat Marketing Systems and Channels in Selected Markets of Lilongwe District in Malawi

A household survey was carried out in Central Malawi to evaluate the goat marketing structure and systems in the rural areas using Nsundwe and Nkhoma areas in Lilongwe District as a case study. The analysis focused on identifying marketing systems of goats in Malawi by investigating the role of goats in an average Malawian rural household and how the current goat marketing systems affects that role. Goats play important role in Malawian rural households by way of providing food, income and as a capital reserve to be used in times critical times of food scarcity. The findings indicate that there is potential for goats to generate more income for the rural farmers, which can in turn help to improve household food security. The marketing system however apparently does not favour the farmers. The farmers seem not to know goat prices beyond the rural markets and hence have inadequate negotiating power to sell at optimum prices. Middlemen bought from farmers and finally sold the goats to urban consumers and retail shops. From the analysis, middlemen seemed to control the goat marketing system. Urban butchers sold the goats at 58% more than the value of farmers while retail shops sold at 137% more than the value of farmers. The differences reflect value-adding activities done at butchers and retail shops levels as well as transportation costs and profit margins. Though farmers may not engage in value adding, the finding implies that they would fetch more money if they supplied directly to the retail shops than to the middlemen. With access to more market information, they could also increase their bargaining power information with middlemen and sell the goats at relatively higher prices than the current. This paper details the results of the study.

Construction of Agricultural Circular Economy and Standard System in China

Under the new situation of advocating the development of circular economy and low-carbon economy in the world, the agriculture is facing all the challenges to ensure food safety, dealing with climate change, promote energy conservation and pollution reduction, protect resources and environment, and increase the income of farmers. Moreover, developing circular agriculture is in the direction that the international challenges can be dealt with and the development of agriculture in China can be accelerated. This paper has reported current situation of agricultural circular economy, keep energy conservation and pollution reduction, and analyzed the basic thought of developing agricultural circular economy.

Food security status in rural areas of Mizoram,Northeast India

Rural areas practice subsistence of the Mizoram state, India agriculture where shifting cultivation dominates the farming systems. As a result, output from crops is very low and thus, the rural areas suffer from food insecurity. This paper analyses food security status in the rural areas of Mizoram and suggests the measures to attain food security. A case study of 16 villages, lying in all the eight districts of Mizoram, was conducted in 2014 and 1527 households （76%） out of total 2010 households were surveyed through purposive random sampling method. Structured questionnaire was constructed and questions on three food security components and 13 indicators were asked. We used Z score technique to calculate data and finally got a composite score of all the components of food security. Our result shows that food availability in the study villages is very less as composite score stands for o.oo3 whereas food accessibility is comparatively higher, mainly due to availability of fair price shops （mean value is one）, high agricultural working population （40.1%） and high literacy rate （70.6%）. Therefore, its composite score is 0.236. Food stability scores only -0.062 and finally overall food security stands for 0.178, which is inadequate. We have suggested that‘system rice intensification＇, which is already in practice, should be given priority. Adequate irrigation facilities, proper public distribution system, cultivation of fruits and vegetables, value addition in farm products and access to market may achieve food security.

Food security from an environmental and technological point of view

This article focuses on technology＇s enormous impacts in solving food security. Over the past several decades technology has made an important contribution to Chinese food production, and it will continue to have the widest impact on food security in China. The relationship between technology and environment is discussed in this article. It is suggested that technology is significantly related to the theme of sustainable Agriculture, and technology can achieve food security.

A Review and Implication of Land Fallow System Research

Land fallow is of great significance for undertaking land reclamation, safeguarding national food security, promoting environmental improvements and ensuring the sustainable use of land resources. This paper reviews the important achievements in three areas of research on the land fallow system. It reviews and compares the land fallow system in different countries and regions of the world; it examines the response of farmers to the land fallow system and ecological environment; and it looks at the economic effects of the land fallow system. Based on Chi- na＇s rotation system for cultivated land, some relevant policy implications are put forward. Based on the different degrees of land damage, the evaluation system and the subsidy accounting standard for fallow land are formulated, and the compulsory fallow and voluntary participation of the niche fallow are targeting. The land fallow system should improve both the regulatory and the restraint mechanisms, improve the environmental awareness and en- vironmental protection skills of farmers, change the production behaviors of farmers, and encourage farmers to change to high coverage crops to protect the land. In view of the negative effects produced by implementation of the fallow system should take corresponding management and compensation measures.

The Evaluation of Food and Livelihood Security in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)Site

Based on the basic selection criteria of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)and food and livelihood security research trends,this paper established an evaluation framework and indicator system for food and livelihood security in GIAHS and selected the first GIAHS site in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a case for empirical evaluation.The results demonstrate that the food and livelihood security of farmers at this site was at a medium level,with an average evaluation value of 2.91,which still lagged behind the level of better food and livelihood security.Specifically,the average values of farmers’evaluation of food security and livelihood security were 1.43 and 1.48,respectively,which show that farmers’food security in the study area was at a medium level and that of livelihood security was relatively good.Simultaneously,the more simple a farmers’economic activities(i.e.,agriculture-oriented economic activities or non-agriculture-oriented economic activities),the worse their food and livelihood security;while the more diversified the economic activities(i.e.,engaged in part-time economic activities),the better the food and livelihood security.

Understanding Agriculture Production and Food Security in Ethiopia from the Perspective of China

Food security and sustainable agricultural development are the hot issues of scientific research, especially after the population affected by hunger surprisingly increased in 2016. Long-lasting and recurrent famines caused by natural disasters and wars have afflicted Ethiopia. Unlike Ethiopia, which is still struggling to achieve food self-sufficiency, China managed to quickly become food self-sufficient at a rapid speed, despite the fact that it also faced the same challenges of famine over the last century. In the backdrop of differing environmental and socio-political challenges the two countries face, comparing the similarities and differences between the two countries will yield important lessons and insights for Ethiopia to follow to achieve food self-sufficiency. Here, the progress towards food security in Ethiopia and China is presented to quantitatively compare the gap of agricultural production between both countries. We found that food production in Ethiopia is heavily constrained by drought, soil degradation, climate change, out-dated agricultural production technologies, and poverty. According to these challenges, we examined corresponding responses in China to propose solutions for achieving food self-sufficiency in Ethiopia, given the realities of its unique national situation.