Institutions,policies and soil degradation:theoretical examinations and case studies in Southeast China

Southeast China is one of the severe soil degradation areas in China. This paper theoretically examines the impact of some important institutional arrangements and policies, like land management pattern, the rural off-farm employment, land property change and changes in prices of agricultural products, on soil degradation in this area. It further conducts some case studies to confirm the potential relationship between the institutions & policies and soil degradation, applying the surveyed and the second hand data. The paper at last makes some conclusions and proposes some suggestions on how to promote soil conservation by improving the ways of policy decision-making and the effects of policies on land use.

Payment for Environmental Services:The Sloping Land Conversion Program in Ningxia Autonomous Region of China

China＇s Sloping Land Conversion Program has been implemented since 2002. It aims to achieve goals of ecological recovery and poverty alleviation, by retiring steeply sloping land from crop production and freeing surplus agricultural labor for off-farm activities. Given the huge investment that has been poured into it, and its ecological and social impacts, this government-initiated program has attracted significant academic attention and triggered a flood of debate. Since 2004, the debate has concentrated on the sustainability of the program. Although targets have been overachieved in some provinces, concern has still emerged regarding the livelihood of farmers after subsidies stop. The present paper analyzes the implementation of the Sloping Land Conversion Program in Ningxia Autonomous Region, with a focus on the required social capital for sustained participation o f farmers and the development of off-farm economic activities.

Crisis, Stimulus Package and Migration in China

This paper analyzes the short-term and long-term effects that the global economic crisis and the investment priorities of the Chinese Government＇s stimulus package had on Chinese migrant flows between 2008 and 2014. Combining micro-level household survey data and macro-level statistics, the authors have found that in the short run, the regional and sectoral impact of the crisis, combined with the government＇s investment priorities, caused a reorientation of migration routes from the export-oriented coastal provinces towards the central and western regions, from inter-provincial migration towards intra-provincial migration, and from manufacturing industry towards the construction sector. However, in the longer run, the decreasing attractiveness of the eastern region and the increasing attractiveness of the western region proved to be transitory, although the pre-crisis relative advantage of the eastern region was not fuUy restored. What proved to be persistent were the attractiveness of the central region and the intra-provincial migration in all three regions, and, in particular, the steady growth of migrants in the construction sector.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BACKYARD AS A LOCAL LEVEL INNOVATION INTERMEDIARY IN RURAL CHINA

Agricultural innovation can be described as a coevolutionary process of technological innovation,symbolic change,and social or institutional innovation,which relies on the interactions and collaboration between multiple stakeholders.This view emphasizes the significance of innovation intermediaries in supporting the coevolution process of innovation.Many studies have provided evidence on how innovation intermediaries play roles in supporting the coevolution innovation process at a broader innovation system level.However,little emphasis has been given to the role of innovation intermediaries in supporting the coevolution process of innovation at the community level in rural China.To address this research gap,this paper offers a case study of a novel type of innovation support intervention designed to promote technical change at the community level,the Science and Technology Backyard(STB).The paper focuses on the efforts of a specific STB in Wangzhuang village to promote innovation in tillage methods in wheat production.The aims was to examine the role of this newly emerging innovation support intervention in supporting the coevolution process of innovation at the community level,and compare the outcome of the coevolution process in the village with an STB to that in villages without an STB.Innovation journey analysis is applied to understand the evolved intermediation roles in the innovation process,and multivariate regression analysis is employed to assess the outcome of the coevolution process in villages with and without an STB.The findings suggest that the roles of STBs have evolved from knowledge brokers to systemic innovation intermediaries that facilitate the coevolution process of innovation inside an STB village.It has led to a higher adoption rate of improved technology,a better enabling environment for learning,and more effective institutional support in STB villages than in non-STB villages.However,the effect of support provided by a single STB on the coevolution process outside the community was limited.This finding points to a need for collaboration mechanisms and for connecting single STBs to support the coevolution process of innovation at a larger scale.

GREEN AGRICULTURE AND BLUE WATER IN CHINA:REINTEGRATING CROP AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION FOR CLEAN WATER

Crop and livestock production are essential to maintain food security.In China,crop and livestock production were integrated in the past.Today,small backyard systems are still integrated but the larger livestock farms are landless and largely geographically separated from crop production systems.As a result,there is less recycling of animal manures and there are lower nutrient use efficiencies in the Chinese food production systems.This,in turn,results in considerable losses of nutrients,causing water pollution and harmful algal blooms in Chinese lakes,rivers and seas.To turn the tide,there is a need for agricultural“green”development for food production through reintegrating crop and livestock production.An additional wish is to turn the Chinese water systems“blue”to secure clean water for current and future generations.In this paper,current knowledge is summarized to identify promising interventions for reintegrating crop and livestock production toward clean water.Technical,social,economic,policy and environmental interventions are addressed and examples are given.The paper highlights recommended next steps to achieve“green”agriculture and“blue”water in China.