Productivity and profitability of multistrata organic versus conventional coffee farms in Costa Rica

In areas where traditional multistrata coffee systems have been transformed to systems with patchy or no shade at all, often dependent on high chemical inputs, ecological and socioeconomic degradation has become an increasing issue. During the 1990s, rising environmental and health concerns have promoted the interest in organic production systems and their environmental services for natural resource conservation. This study compared productivity, profitability, producer-defined constraints, and goals and research priorities between ten individually paired organic and conventional coffee farms in Costa Rica. Although five of the organic farms matched or exceeded the production of their conventional counterparts, the three-year mean yield of the organic farms as a group was 22% lower than that of the conventional farms. However, excluding organic certification costs, mean variable costs and net income (NI) were similar for both groups, mainly because organic price premiums received by the farmers compensated for lower yields. If current organic certification costs are included, the price premiums paid to organic producers would have to increase to 38% in order to equal the NI from conventional coffee. Conventional farmers indentified low and unstable prices as the main constraints to sustained production and stated further intensification of production as their main goal. In contrast, the key issues for future development of the organic group centered on farm diversification, agroecological self-sufficiency, and agronomic practices that permit organic farm management. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Forest utilization patterns and socio-economic status of the Van Gujjar tribe in sub-Himalayan tracts of Uttarakhand, India

The present study was conducted on the Van Gujjar tribe inhabiting a sub-Himalayan tract in the North Western Himalayas of Uttarakhand State,India.The Van Gujjars have been practicing transmigration over hundreds of years.They migrate each year with their households and livestock between summer and winter pastures.A few years ago with the announcement of the establishment of the Rajaji National Park,the tribe has been forced out of the forest area and rehabilitated outside the park,which has affected their lifestyle.The newly established rehabilitation colony in the Gandikhata area of Haridwar District of Uttarakhand State was taken as a case study.The aims of the present study were to understand and evaluate the socio-economic status of the Van Gujjars in their newly established rehabilitation colony,the utilization pattern of forest resources by the tribe and their relative preference for selective trees for various uses.A total of 176 households were interviewed (giving equal weight to all economic classes and family every size) by using pre-structured questionnaires.The education level was very low (12.9%) and the average income per household was recorded as Rs.36000 (approximately $ 803) per year.The major source of income was dairy production (80.6%) followed by labor employment (13.9%),NTFPs (4.2%) and agricultural production (1.4%).More than 90% of fuel wood and fodder is extracted from the forest.The average fuel wood and fodder consumptions per household per day were recorded as 25.86 and 21.58 kg,respectively.A total of 35 species of cultivated plants and 89 species of wild plants were found to be utilized as food sources.Selectively 25 wild tree species are well known as being used by the Van Gujjars as fodder,fuel wood,agricultural implements,household articles,dye,medicine,fiber and other products.According to their utility value,the most preferred and useful tree species is Ougeinia oojeinensis,followed by Terminalia alata,Bombax ceiba,Shorea robusta and Dalbergia sissoo.     

长江经济带国家级自然保护区内社区居民现状与发展对策

中国自然保护区多处于地理位置偏僻的贫困落后地区,且在有关法律条文规定下,居民对保护区内资源利用受限,特别是核心区和缓冲区中众多的社区居民给自然保护区管理带来压力,自然保护区保护与社区经济发展之间的矛盾日益凸显。文中通过对重点区域长江经济带国家级自然保护区内居民现状进行调查和分析,探讨不同类型自然保护区内社区居民人口密度、经济水平和自然资源依赖程度的差异,并针对自然保护区内社区发展存在的主要问题包括人口众多、经济水平受限等,提出降低保护区内人口密度、多形式提高居民收入、发展生态旅游和加强可持续经营管理等建议。     

转移农村剩余劳动力资源是农民增收的有效途径

从宏观和全局的目标出发,分析转移和消化农村富余劳动力面临的问题和困难,研究探索解决农村剩余劳动力转移流动的对策与措施。     

顾及空间效应的县域收入分布时空演进研究——以广西为例

运用随机Kernel密度函数,将空间因素引入研究框架,对1998~2005年广西县域收入分布演进进行分析。结果表明,广西县域收入差距具有持续稳固的特点;区域收入分布演进总体呈单峰俱乐部收敛,表现出多俱乐部收敛的趋势,贫穷俱乐部的规模远大于其他较高收入俱乐部;县域收入分布演进明显具有空间依赖性,近邻效应显著,邻域富裕的县域向较高收入水平演进的机会较大,并且导致县域经济增长表现为局部空间俱乐部收敛特征。     

我国森林公园的发展动态分析

以我国大陆31个省、自治区、直辖市及全国森林公园为研究对象,分析我国森林公园数量、面积、旅游收入、游客数量年份间的动态变化。结果表明,我国森林公园数量、面积、旅游收入、游客总人次、国内游客人次及海外游客人次呈现逐年递增趋势。森林公园数量、面积及旅游收入均在2001年及2002年增幅比例较高,而游客总人次及国内游客人次除2003年外增幅均较高。相关性分析均表明,森林公园数量、面积、游客总人次、国内游客人次及海外游客人次均与森林公园旅游收入具有显著相关性,但逐步回归分析显示,仅有森林公园数量及国内游客人次影响森林公园旅游收入。     

基于ARMA模型的云南省城乡居民收入差距分析和预测

以云南省为例,根据1978～2010年云南省城乡居民收入差距的数据,运用ARMA模型,用Eviews软件进行拟合,对云南省城乡居民收入差距情况进行分析,并给出了2011～2013年云南省城乡居民相对收入差距的预测值。结果显示,城乡居民收入差距会继续扩大。提出了缩小城乡居民收入差距的相关建议。     

农户家庭人均纯收入影响因素再分析

采用2001年东部沿海地区和中部内陆地区2个省的农村固定观察点数据资料,运用OLS方法,对影响农户家庭人均纯收入的因素进行实证分析.结果表明,地域综合因素大幅度地、显著地影响着农民人均纯收入增长;农村非农劳动力数量与农户家庭人均纯收入之间具有显著的正相关关系;高质量的农村人力资本存量可以显著增加农户家庭人均纯收入水平.     

“门当户对”的婚姻更幸福吗——以夫妻双方个人特征差距为视角

夫妻双方的年龄、受教育程度、收入以及户籍方面的差异会影响婚后的主观幸福感。夫妻双方的年龄差距越大,生活幸福感越弱,且这种影响更多地存在于男性和农业户籍人口中;夫妻双方的受教育程度差距虽然有利于女性主观幸福感的提升,却会恶化男性的主观幸福感;夫妻双方的收入差距越大,生活幸福感越强,且对于女性和农业户籍人口而言,收入差距对生活幸福感的影响更为显著;与夫妻双方都是农业户籍相比,夫妻双方都是非农业户籍的幸福感更强。夫妻双方的个人特征差异对婚后主观幸福感的影响存在性别与户籍差异。     

不同栽培方式对大豆产量及构成因子的影响

为了提高大豆产量,试验设置2种配套栽培模式处理,研究45cm窄行密植栽培模式和65cm垄作栽培模式对大豆产量及其构成因子的影响,并对经济效益进行分析。结果表明:垄作栽培下,黑河36的株荚数、株粒数、荚粒数均高于窄行密植栽培模式下的合农60。合农60窄行密植栽培模式产量为3 615kg·hm-2,黑河36垄作栽培模式产量为2 865kg·hm-2,2种栽培模式下产量差异达到极显著水平。窄行密植栽培模式较垄作栽培模式增产750kg·hm-2,增产率达到26.18%,增收效益为3 000元·hm-2。