Livelihood diversification with certification‐supported farming: The case of land reform beneficiaries in the Philippines

The promotion of intensive farming through organic and fair trade certification appears contradictory to the increasing significance of non‐farm income sources in rural Asia as well as in many other parts of the rural South. By observing a sugarcane producer co‐operative comprising land reform beneficiaries in the Philippines, this paper explores the reality of livelihood diversification as practised by member households of the certified co‐operative, focusing on the compatibility of certification‐supported farming with diversified activities. In this case, diversification at the household level progressed both away from farming and into farming. Behind the long‐term use of agricultural certification, there are compelling reasons for continuing both certification‐supported farming and diversified activities, and for employing mechanisms that further the compatibility at all phases between the former and the latter, and maximising income‐generating opportunities. The operation of communal land with agricultural certification may be an effective form of assistance to land reform beneficiaries who share a strong desire to be landowners.     

Global‐local initiatives in FDI: The experience of Shenzhen,China

Abstract: In 2002, China surpassed the USA to become the world's largest foreign investment destination. Many Chinese cities, especially those along the coast, have become hot spots for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The urban development of these Chinese cities, as in most market societies, has increasingly depended upon their global connections. However, it is unclear to what degree the governments of these cities are able to influence the decisions of foreign investors. This paper uses Shenzhen city as a case study to examine how multi‐nationals’ spatial and sectoral patterns have been changed over time and to what degree the local government has been able to influence multinationals’ locational and sectoral selection. It is concluded that Shenzhen has managed to create a strategy to maximise its ability to benefit from global economic forces and to attract multinational manufacturers in the locality, and particularly in increasing its target sector of technology‐intensive industry. This case study demonstrates the importance of a strong city government in managing growth and reacting decisively to globalisation.     

The peri‐urban Pacific: From exclusive to inclusive cities

Abstract: As the Pacific Islands continue to urbanise, existing models of governance and planning are coming under greater pressure and scrutiny. Both the city council approach and the ‘good’ urban governance agenda of donors have weaknesses in the region, especially in dealing with peri‐urban settlements where the most rapid urban population growth is occurring. This is resulting in increased social discontent and conflict. This paper critiques the ways in which Pacific Island towns and cities are governed and calls for an approach which is more inclusive (and less hierarchical) and informed by concepts of citizenship and social justice. Indeed, policy makers will need to broaden their concepts and practices of governance if many Pacific cities are to be socially, politically, and envir‐onmentally sustainable. However, the political‐economy of urban development in the region is not proving conducive to consensus, with conflict a more likely outcome in the foreseeable future.     

The urban governance of brownfield restructuring in China: The case of Guangzhou's T.I.T Creative Industry Zone

Over the past several years, the creative reuse of brownfields has played a major role in Chinese cities to give their urban landscape a so‐called second development. This paper analyses the governance of the brownfield restructuring in Guangzhou (Canton). The research is based on a study of the T.I.T Creative Industry Zone, a highly successful creative space currently in danger of demolition. This paper follows DiGaetano and Strom's ( 2003 ) analytical governance framework. This approach allows for deciphering the complexities of decision‐making through a well‐structured set of interdependent categories. In Guangzhou, new policies and institutions have been promoting the restructuring and have contributed to the formalisation of public–private interactions. In general, this indicates a shift towards a more corporatist governance. However, the study of T.I.T reveals a rather intricate picture: the policymaking remains influenced by a top‐down authoritative style – sometimes in an arbitrary manner – and to some extent also by particularistic exchanges. This indicates a complex mode of urban governance consisting of increasingly corporatist elements but still with managerial, and to a lesser extent, clientelistic elements. Finally, the coexistence of different governance modes seems to be a typical outcome of China's transition while still remaining more adaptive, experimental and flexible in nature.     

江门林业高新技术示范区总体规划概略

江门林业高新技术示范区项目建设目的在于促进林业科技成果转化,推进林业生态建设,促进江门社会经济可持续发展。通过采取政府支持与市场化运作相结合、林业与旅游相衔接、与省内科研机构分工合作等建设方法,江门林业高新技术示范区将成为集生态林业研究、开发、推广、服务于一体,并融合林业科普、生态教育、旅游于其中的“生态型林业高科技产业园”。     

The peri‐urbanisation of Shanghai: Planning,growth pattern and sustainable development

Abstract: With the increase of global integration, the peri‐urban area (PUA) of megacities in Asia has become a favourite destination for foreign direct investment (FDI). This paper uses the PUA of Shanghai as a case study to investigate the impact of global forces on the urban expansion of the city, and the link between urban growth and sustainable development in this mega‐urban context. Shanghai has grown impressively during the past two decades in terms of economic and physical transformation. Much of this transformation has rested on the unbridled exploitation of land and other environmental resources in its peri‐urban area. This is characterised by the designation of development zones and the concentration of manufacturing FDI, resulting in dispersed growth and environmental degradation. The disruption of the physical environment, combined with the concentration of the urban poor in these areas (in particular ‘temporary migrants’), has turned the PUA into a potential crisis point threatening the social and economic development of the city.     

Commuting distances to local non‐farm workplaces and out‐migration: The case of Northeast Thailand

The relationship between commuting distances and where people work has been studied for urban contexts in both developed countries and developing countries. However, few studies have examined the situation in rural areas, and none look at commuting distances to non‐farm workplaces in rural areas of developing countries. This paper investigates how commuting distance, and thus accessibility, to local non‐farm work influences non‐farm employment and out‐migration from rural villages in Northeast Thailand. The main issues examined are: (i) the distance that rural residents travel to work in local non‐farm jobs; and (ii) the influence that local non‐farm employment has on the number of outmigrants from rural villages. The study finds: (i) distance between villages and non‐farm work sites impact the number of villagers who are employed in regular wage work; (ii) beyond 20 km villagers are less likely to travel to non‐farm employment using their own means of transportation; and (iii) employment in regular wage work decreases outmigration. The findings from this study contribute to the debates over the drivers of rural out‐migration, rural livelihood changes, and agrarian changes that are taking place in Southeast Asia.     

成都“1+7”经济区土地集约节约利用现状和产业结构调整潜力评价研究

为了评价成都“1+7”经济区的土地集约节约利用度,促进经济区土地集约节约利用,从土地投入水平、利用强度、产出效果、利用持续性4个方面构建了土地集约节约利用评价指标体系,采用层次分析法、德菲尔法确定指标权重,用Matlab软件对2009年经济区的土地集约节约利用度进行模糊综合评价。结果表明：城市土地的投入水平和二三产业的发展水平直接影响到土地集约利用度,经济区土地集约节约利用总体水平较低,成都为中度集约,德阳为初步集约,绵阳、资阳为低度粗放,乐山、遂宁、眉山、雅安为中度粗放。笔者有针对性地提出了优化和调整产业结构,将集约利用的重点放在建成区现有土地的开发和挖潜改造上,尽可能地增加单位面积的土地收益,走内涵式发展道路等对策建议。     

Building knowledge city in transformation era: Knowledge‐based urban development in Beijing in the context of globalisation and decentralisation

This study examines knowledge‐based urban development in Beijing with the objective of revealing the impact of the ‘synergetic’ forces of globalisation and local government intervention on knowledge‐based urban development in the context of the coexisting processes of globalisation and decentralisation. The findings in this paper show that due to the rapid growth of the cultural industry sector, knowledge‐based urban development has created various kinds of ‘cultural industry clustered areas’, which were recently promoted by the 2008 Olympic Games. ‘Synergetic’ global and local forces are leading knowledge‐based urban development, with the emergence of a local coalition regime in which local government manages local development, considered as ‘enterprises’ in the decentralisation process, while the State retains a significant influence on knowledge‐based urban development. The central and municipal governments tend to emphasise strategies to ‘facilitate the climate for growth’ rather than the centrally planned control they exerted prior to the 1980s.     

Emerging geography of technological innovation in China's ICT industry: Region,inter‐firm linkages and innovative performance in a transitional economy

This study critically evaluates the relevance of the existing theory of technological innovation to the case of China's information and communications technology industry. Based on a large‐scale questionnaire survey conducted in China's three most important city‐regions, namely, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, where the core of China's information and communications technology industry is located, this study reveals a significant regional variation in technological innovation in a political economy undergoing marketisation and globalisation. This research has found no significant relationship between the innovative performance of firms and the extent of production linkages; nor was there a significant knowledge exchange among firms. A further analysis has identified the significant role played by government purchases, research and development capital input and export propensity in the process of technological innovation. The findings of this research cast doubts over the prevailing theory of ‘new economic geography’ in which soft and unbounded relational assets have been overemphasised at the expense of some solid and bounded actors and agents that are pivotal to technological innovation in a developing economy.     

The spatial-temporal evolution of urban development patterns in Chinese cities: Dynamics and interpretations

This paper examines the spatial-temporal evolution of urban spatial structure across 269 Chinese prefectural cities from 2002 to 2019. Our analysis identifies a consistent trend toward a more polycentric configuration in the 25 Chinese mega-cities during this period, primarily due to population growth and a supportive policy environment. However, the evolutionary pathways of small- and medium-sized cities unfolded in a rather complex and diverse manner, with some becoming more polycentric while the majority adhering to a monocentric trajectory. In these cases, population growth is usually associated with a more monocentric pattern, characterized by rapid expansion of the urban core, while polycentric development is primarily attributed to specific spatial policies that support the emergence of subcenters. We conclude that polycentric development, while potentially suitable for mega-cities to alleviate diseconomies of scale, may be less appropriate for small- and medium-sized cities as it may constrain growth associated with agglomeration economies. We suggest that the development and implementation of regional spatial policy should be considerate of local historical paths and contextual factors. Finally, we propose a stylized framework to more accurately reflect the diverse and complex nature of urban spatial structure evolution in Chinese prefectural cities.     

The structure and proximity mechanism of formal innovation networks: Evidence from Shanghai high‐tech ITISAs

The discussion on innovation networks of patents or papers has attracted many economic geographers; however, the Industrial Technology Innovation Strategy Alliance (ITISA) has been ignored, although it is also an important innovation form of firms, and the formation mechanism of alliance innovation networks is unclear. This study is based on the data of Shanghai high‐tech ITISAs between 2010 and 2015, and employs the methods of social networks and negative binomial regression to analyse the actor structure, spatial structure, and proximity mechanism of innovation networks of Shanghai high‐tech ITISAs. Results highlight the following: (a) Firms comprise the largest number of actors in alliance innovation networks, and universities, research institutions, and industry associations also play some roles. (b) The local and rooted characteristics of the innovation networks of ITISAs are obvious. The spatial distribution of innovation partners is mainly in Shanghai, and a few innovation actors are located in neighbouring cities, such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Ningbo in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration. (c) Proximity significantly promotes the formation of innovation networks in an ITISA and contributes to the improvement of innovation ability, and organizational proximity plays a greater role than geographical proximity or cognitive proximity.     

Multifunctionality and agrarian transition in alternative agro‐food production in the global South: The case of organic shrimp certification in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

Processes of globalisation in the conventional food provision system have had widespread negative impacts on small‐scale farmers. Yet, alternative food networks, which are characterised by more sustainable production/consumption practices and fairer trade relations, have increasingly been ‘going global’ and, in the process, have been integrating small‐scale farms in the South. One such high‐value export‐led commodity is certified organic shrimp. International third‐party certification schemes are becoming popular as a tool to verify the intangible attributes of such commodities. Using concepts of multifunctionality and agrarian change, this paper examines the implications of introducing an international environmental certification programme to a site where the ‘peasantry’ has been preserved and has limited integration in the global agro‐food system. Drawing on a case study that examines the first certified organic shrimp production project in Vietnam, this paper concludes that the current movement towards post‐productivism in the global North has potential to keep local farming practices in the global South by justifying the value of peasant‐like production methods through international certification. As a result, the development path of agrarian transition might be reshaped into a form not necessarily pursuing industrialisation. This leads to the new interpretation of pre‐ and post‐productivism beyond the North and South divide.     

Evolving social capital and networks in the post‐disaster rebuilding process: The case of Typhoon Yolanda

Typhoon Yolanda brought major devastation to the local communities and infrastructure and also reshaped social structures and networks in the Philippines. During the immediate recovery process, bridging, bonding and linking social capital have had differential impacts and outcomes on how communities cope with the aftermath of the disaster. This article investigates the interplay between the various types of social capital and their contributions to immediate coping strategies of Typhoon Yolanda communities. This article also evaluates the complexity of defining social capital in a disaster context. In particular, it unpacks the blurring of the bridging and linking social capital at the immediate stage of rehabilitation in a post‐disaster context and its impacts on the social fabric of the communities. We deduce from this case study the social capital strategies necessary for a speedy recovery process both economically and socially for disaster‐affected communities.     

Characterization of Drought‐Tolerance Traits in Nodulated Soya Beans: The Importance of Maintaining Photosynthesis and Shoot Biomass Under Drought‐Induced Limitations on Nitrogen Metabolism

Drought is the single most important factor limiting soya bean (Glycine max L. Merr.) yields in the field. The following study was therefore undertaken to identify phenotypic markers for enhanced drought tolerance in nodulated soya beans. Leaf and nodule parameters were compared in three genotypes: Prima 2000, glyphosate‐resistant A5409RG and Jackson, which had similar shoot biomass and photosynthesis rates at the third trifoliate leaf stage under water‐replete conditions. When water was withheld at the third trifoliate leaf stage, photosynthesis, nodule numbers, nodule biomass and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) were greatly decreased. Significant cultivar–drought interactions were observed with respect to photosynthesis, which also showed a strong positive correlation with nodule SNF, particularly under drought conditions. Prima leaves had high water‐use efficiencies, and they also maintained high photosynthetic electron transport efficiencies under long‐term drought. Moreover, Prima had the highest shoot biomass under both water‐replete and drought conditions. A‐5409RG was the most drought‐sensitive genotype showing early closure of stomata and rapid inhibition of photosynthesis in response to drought. In addition to classifying the genotypes in relation to drought tolerance, the results demonstrate that the ability to sustain shoot biomass under nitrogen limitation is an important parameter, which can be easily applied in germplasm screening for drought tolerance in soya bean.