Facts,fantasies, and failures of farmer participatory research

Farmer participatory research (FPR) has generated many programmatic statements and few technologies. FPR has probably been of interest more because of dissatisfaction with the green revolution and agricultural establishment research than because of a proven ability of scientists and farmers to collaborate together. There are several barriers between farmers and scientists, not the least of which is social distance. The role of FPR should be critically examined; it may work best setting research agendas or in the case of researchers who can dedicate themselves to FPR full-time for quite some time.     

朱熹的农业思想概述

朱熹的农业思想主要体现在劝农、设立社仓和井田制理想等方面。其中,劝农及设立社仓的措施具有很强的实践意义。其主张的儒家仁政思想及民本思想,对我国现阶段的农业发展也应有所启示。     

Ever Since Hightower: The Politics of Agricultural Research Activism in the Molecular Age

In 1973, Jim Hightower and his associates at the Agribusiness Accountability Project dropped a bombshell – Hard Tomatoes, Hard Times – on the land-grant college and agricultural science establishments. From the early 1970s until roughly 1990, Hightower-style criticism of and activism toward the public agricultural research system focused on a set of closely interrelated themes: the tendencies for the publicly supported research enterprise to be an unwarranted taxpayer subsidy of agribusiness, for agricultural research and extension to favor large farmers and be disadvantageous for family farmers, for public research to stress mechanization while ignoring the concerns and interests of farm workers, and for the research and extension establishment to ignore rural poverty and other rural social problems. By 1990, however, there had been a quite fundamental restructuring of the agricultural technology opposition movement – one that is not often well recognized. Two overarching changes had occurred. First, agricultural-technology activism had shifted from contesting land-grant/public research priorities and practices to contesting private agribusiness technological priorities and practices. Second, the relatively integrated, overarching Hightower-type opposition had undergone bifurcation into two quite distinct social movements: the agricultural sustainability/local food systems movement on one hand, and the anti-GM food/crop and anti-food-system-globalization movement on the other. In this paper I explore the causes and consequences of these restructurings of the agricultural research and technology opposition movement. Chief among the major factors involved was the fact that “Hightowerism' involved an ineffectual representational politics. Hightowerist claims – especially the claim that land-grant research was detrimental to family farmers – generated little support among the groups it claimed to represent (particularly “small' or “family' farmers). The two successor movements, by contrast, have relatively clear and dependable constituents. Further, the progressive molecularization of agricultural research, which proved to be both an antecedent and consequence of corporate involvement in agricultural research in the US, has decisively changed the issues that are contested by technology activists. Since the age of Hightower, the agricultural technology activist movement has shifted its 1970s and early 1980s emphasis from contesting public sector/land-grant research priorities to contesting private sector activities, particularly genetic engineering, GM crops, and globalization of agricultural technologies and regulatory practices. Even the sustainability/localism wing of the new agricultural technology movement configuration has progressively backed away from contesting public research priorities. The efforts of the sustainable agricultural and localism movement have increasingly focused on quasi-private efforts such as community supported agriculture, green/“value-added' labeling and marketing strategies, and community food security. Some implications of this increasingly bifurcated, agricultural technology, activist movement configuration in which there is decreased interest in land-grant/public research priorities are discussed.     

A comparative analysis of agricultural knowledge and innovation systems in Kenya and Ghana: sustainable agricultural intensification in the rural–urban interface

Agriculture remains the backbone of most African economies, yet land degradation severely hampers agricultural productivity. Over the last decades, scientists and development practitioners have advocated integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) practices to improve soil fertility. However, their adoption rates are low, partly because many farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are not fully aware of the principles of this system innovation. This has been attributed to a wide communication gap between farmers and other agricultural actors in agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS). We add to the literature by applying innovation system approaches to ISFM awareness processes. This study aims to assess if AKIS are effectively disseminating ISFM knowledge by comparing results from two sites in Kenya and Ghana, which differ in the uptake of ISFM. Social network measures and statistical methods were employed using data from key formal actors and farmers. Our results suggest that the presence of weak knowledge ties is important for the awareness of ISFM at both research sites. However, in Kenya AKIS are more effective as there is a network of knowledge ties crucial for not only dissemination but also learning of complex innovations. This is largely lacking in Ghana where integration of formal and informal agricultural knowledge systems may be enhanced by fostering the function of informal and formal innovation brokers.     

Farmland and the environment: Protection of vulnerable agricultural areas in the Netherlands

Agriculture in the Netherlands is a critical industry, in terms of both its share of available land and its importance to the Dutch economy. Cultural-technical improvements and intensification of land use have resulted in increased productivity, but have also threatened vulnerable and valuable natural habitats and landscapes. TheRelatienota, a government report issued in 1975, introduced an environmental policy implemented by regulation in 1983 and 1988. Under this policy,Relatienota areas (management areas and reserves) are established. Farmers in management areas voluntarily enter private contracts (management agreements) with the government, in which they promise to tailor agricultural production to nature and landscape conservation. By compensating farmers for activities that maintain existing natural conditions, management agreements provide the incentive for extraordinary efforts to protect agricultural environments for valuable plant and animal species. Particularly sensitive natural areas, where environmental values are incompatible with economic farming, are identified as reserves, and the land is purchased for specialized management. AlthoughRelatienota policy has been implemented on a limited number of hectares, it is an important component of the efforts in the Netherlands to protect and preserve vulnerable natural areas. As a model of negotiated cooperation between government, farmers, and nature protection interests, its success may encourage other nations in the Economic Community to use private contracts to further societal goals.     

Farmers’ perceptions of coexistence between agriculture and a large scale coal seam gas development

The Coal Seam Gas (CSG) extraction industry is developing rapidly within the Surat Basin in southern Queensland, Australia, with licenses already approved for tenements covering more than 24,000 km². Much of this land is used for a broad range of agricultural purposes and the need for coexistence between the farm and gas industries has been the source of much conflict. Whilst much research has been undertaken into the environmental and economic impacts of CSG, little research has looked into the issues of coexistence between farmers and the CSG industry in the shared space that is a farm business, a home and a resource extraction network. We conducted three workshops with farmers from across a broad region undergoing CSG development to explore farmers’ perceptions of some of the issues arising from large scale land use change. Workshops explored the importance of place identity and landscape aesthetics for farmers, farmers’ acceptance and coping with change, and possible benefits from off-farm income. We found that farmers believed that place identity was not well understood by CSG staff from non-rural backgrounds and that farmers struggled to explain some concerns because of the different way they interpreted their landscape. Furthermore, high staff turnover, and the extensive use of contractors also impacted on communications. These factors were the cause of much frustration and farmers felt that this has led to severe impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Farmers felt that a change in culture within the CSG companies will be required if engagement with farmers is to improve and that efforts to employ local people in these communications was helping this. The workshops also identified a range of issues perceived by farmers arising from increased traffic volumes, impacts to mental health and wellbeing, place identity and loss of water resources for farmers. Finally, it was suggested that scientists and agricultural industry groups will need to work closely with farmers to develop understanding of these emerging issues and to develop solutions that are timely and relevant.     

Rethinking the role of U. S. development assistance in third world agriculture

International agricultural development as practiced by U. S. sponsored research groups in developing countries has emphasized technical questions of production, ignoring more fundamental social and economic issues that underline rural poverty and hunger. Rethinking the role of U. S. development assistance will require transcending the view that the only way to impact agriculture in the Third World is by increasing the intensity of land use in high potential agricultural areas. The challenge is to find ways of how to further increase agricultural productivity so that the rural poor significantly benefit, while at the same time conserving and regenerating the resource base. U. S. scientists must realize that this is only possible by improving the access of resource-poor farmers to land, water, other natural resources, as well as to equitable credit, markets, appropriate technologies, etc. Solidarious collaboration will emerge from the U. S. siding with progressive governments and/or community-based initiatives that promote political change aimed at securing farmers' control over resources and inputs, and changing the structural conditions and policies that perpetuate poverty. Miguel A. Altieri is Associate Professor at the Division of Biological Control, University of California, Berkeley. He teaches courses in agroecology and rural development, agroforestry, and biological control. His research emphasizes the development of sustainable agricultural systems both in California and in Latin America.     

Bibliography: Farmer knowledge and management of crop disease

Nearly all contemporary people subsist on cultivated plants, most of which are vulnerable to diseases. Yet, there have been few studies of what traditional people know – and do not know – about crop disease. Agricultural scientists in general are becoming aware of the potential contribution of social scientists and farmers in developing integrated management of crop diseases. The International Potato Center (CIP) has focused on stimulating farmer-scientist collaboration in developing management of late blight, a major fungal disease of potatoes and other plants. Understanding farmers' knowledge of this and other plant diseases is an important element in furthering such collaboration. Although not all agricultural scientists recognize the value of social science, this literature search shows that some agricultural scientists now actively collaborate with farmers, in ways that cross the boundary into social science research. During this search, much of the work we found was written by plant pathologists and entomologists. We found over fifty publications on farmer knowledge of crop disease, and we have annotated the material that we thought most relevant to farmer- scientist collaboration for research of crop diseases, especially late blight.     

农业现代化与农民利益保护问题研究

综述了发达国家农业现代化的主要模式及其对农民利益的影响,其中美国、加拿大、澳大利亚这类人少地多的国家在农业机械化过程中采取大规模的机械化为主导的节约劳力型模式;日本这类人多地少的国家在农业现代化的过程中采取技术型的节约土地型模式;西欧国家在农业现代化的过程中采取中间型模式,让机械化与技术化共同发挥作用。探讨了农村土地流转中农民利益保障问题：流转权益分配不够合理;擅自改变土地性质和用途,破坏农民长远利益;农民社会保障问题不能得到很好解决。分析了农业产业化过程中农民利益保障问题,指出大户或者龙头企业往往占据了合作社中的有利地位,利用股权优势或管理优势掠夺农户的经营成果,转移风险,农户往往处于劣势。提出了在规模经营中保护农民利益：实行适合国情的适度规模经营;在农户、合作社与龙头企业之间建立公平合理的利益联结机制;加强与完善政府的惠农政策措施。     

优化利用农广校教育资源构建农民科技教育培训体系

本文通过对作为农业远距离教育主体和农民教育主渠道的农业广播电视学校的资源优势、特点的分析,探讨依托农广校构建农民科技教育培训体系。     

产业链视角下四川省低碳农业标准化发展的影响因素研究

对四川省21个市58个乡(镇)820名农户展开实地调研,基于产业链视角,将低碳农业标准化发展的影响因素归为农户特征、生产要素投入、生产过程控制、市场特征以及保障机制等五大类,运用主成分分析法提取了14个变量,在此基础上建立多分类Logit回归模型对进行了低碳农业标准化发展的影响因素实证分析。结果表明,农户的家庭年收入和农户的土地流转率、参加产业化组织、农业生产过程的循环化和标准化处理、农产品的品牌建设以及政府的碳汇补贴与低碳农业标准化的发展存在正相关。并在此基础上提出提高农业收入、加快农村土地流转、加快农产品品牌建设以及培育农业碳汇市场等政策建议。     

Socio-cultural processes behind the differential distribution of organic farming in Denmark: a case study

Conversion to organic farming, along with its associated driving forces and barriers, has been explored intensively over the past decade, while studies on the distribution and impacts of local socio-cultural processes in relation to conversion to and diffusion of organic farming have been scarce. The concentration of organic farms in Denmark differs according to county and, moreover, there appears to be large within-county variation in the density of organic farms. The present study explores local aspects of conversion to organic farming and the factors that may help explain variation in density and concentration of organic farms within smaller areas. The study is based on nine qualitative interviews with organic farmers from two neighboring areas, referred to as “mainland” and “island,” respectively. Three farms were situated in the high-density area (mainland) and the remaining six in the low-density area (island). Furthermore, five advisors with connections to the area provided information with regard to their local experience and perceptions. Three main, and to some extent interacting, issues are discussed. The first is the price of land related to local scarcity of land, in the context of structural development and the effects of agricultural policies. The second is distance – both physical and social. Cooperation and exchange of experience among organic farmers was frequent on the mainland side, while isolation and lack of interaction was more common for the island farmers. Third, the role of the agricultural advisory service and the existence of champion farmers are important: pioneer farmers on the mainland have been supported by committed agricultural advisors, while lack of organic champion farmers and low priority granted to organic farming among agricultural advisors were found on the island. Marie-Louise Risgaard has an MSc within the field of organic agriculture. Her research interests are organic farming and rural development with the present occupation as innovative partner at a small-scale organic enterprise. In this capacity she is responsible for creating links between the organic enterprise, the gastronomic sector and organic markets, locally as well as nationally. Pia Frederiksen, PhD, is a geographer and senior scientist with research skills in rural development, sustainability, landscape analysis, and agri-environmental indicators. Pernille Kaltoft, PhD, is an environmental sociologist and senior scientist whose work focuses on organic farming and farmers’ perceptions. Dr. Kaltoft’s general research interests include values, perceptions, and views of nature related to agricultural and environmental issues.     

农户耕地流动资本投入意愿的影响因素研究——以杨凌示范区为例

实现粮食安全是我国的战略目标。其中,农户对耕地资本的合理投入既是保证农产品健康供给的关键要素,也是解决“三农”问题的有效途径,尤其是农户对耕地的流动资本投入。该研究根据在杨凌示范区的实地调研数据,采用二项Logistic回归模型与对比分析方法,对影响杨凌示范区农户耕地流动资本投入意愿的因素进行了定量分析。结果表明,农户对耕地资本的投入意愿相对较弱;农业收益、耕地规模与固定资本投入量是影响农户耕地流动资本投入意愿的主要因素且存在区域差异性;农业补贴政策对农户耕地资本投入意愿具有一定的促进与激励作用。最后提出了要适量经营土地、调整农业补贴政策、加强农村劳动力的农业生产技术培训以及为农户建立基础保障体系等对策措施,以期为政府和相关管理部门制定农业政策提供参考。     

劳动力老龄化会使农户顺利流转农地吗?

从老年农户流出农地的现象入手,基于理论推导,使用“中国农村发展调查”数据,采用面板固定效应回归和倾向得分匹配等计量方法,分析农业劳动力老龄化对农地流转的影响。结果表明:(1)缓解了样本缺失问题后,老龄化对农地流转的估计系数得到增强。(2)对于拥有足额养老金、家庭劳均农业收入较少(低于村平均水平)或家庭农业收入占比较低(<0.25)的农户家庭,其在老龄化影响下流出的农地面积更大。(3)如果村庄被新型农村合作医疗保险政策覆盖或拥有养老院,老年农户流出的农地面积趋于增加。(4)如果村庄提供灌溉设施、机械化耕地服务等改善效率的公共品,家庭劳均农业收入较少或家庭农业收入占比较低的家庭将进一步流出农地。据此,提出加大对农村地区老年人的社会保障力度、积极投资改善农业生产效率的公共品的对策建议。     

阿克苏地区土地规模经营意愿影响因素分析———基于logistic多分类回归模型

以新疆阿克苏地区实地调研情况为例,对农民土地规模经营意愿及其可能的影响因素用logistic多分类回归模型进行实证分析.结果表明:53.37％的农户不希望扩大土地规模,家庭人口数量、区域经济发展水平、农地流转价格、非农经济收入所占比重、土地规模经营预期、受教育程度、雇佣农工成本对土地规模经营意愿具有显著影响.区域经济条件较发达、农地流转价格的下降、规模经营预期的上升,以及雇佣农工成本的降低会使农民扩大土地规模经营的意愿增强.     

湖南省不同区域农户土地流转意愿及其影响因素实证分析

以湖南省11县（市、区）11个村的254份调查问卷为基础,将所选样本分为大都市郊区、县城郊区、一般农区、边远山区等4个区域,通过建立Logistic模型,对影响农户农地流转意愿的影响因素进行了实证研究.结果表明：年龄、文化程度、土地流转历史及家庭收入主要来源与这4个区域的农户农地流转意愿均显著相关,而农业收入比重对除大都市郊区以外的其他3个区域的农户的流转意愿有显著影响;但在总体模型中年龄、文化程度、土地流转历史、家庭收入主要来源及农业收入比重这5个因素均与农户农地流转意愿在不同水平上显著相关.为了加快农村土地流转,促进农地规模经营,提出了加快培养新一代青年农民、加强农民职业技能培训、加大农业投入及政策扶持等建议.     

关于农业科研单位激励机制的思考

文章以农业科研单位激励机制的重要性为引线,分析讨论了现阶段农业科研单位激励机制存在的问题,并结合设立激励机制的主要原则,提出了加大物质激励,满足科技人员的物质需求;强化精神激励,实现科技人员的人生价值等完善激励机制的对策建议,以期充分调动农业科技人员的工作积极性及能动性,进而增强农业科研单位的创新能力。     

大都市郊区农户使用化肥行为的影响因素分析——基于北京郊区202个农户的调查数据

【目的】探讨分析农户在农业生产过程中影响化肥使用量的因素,为促进农户在农业生产过程中合理使用化肥提供参考。【方法】利用北京郊区202个农户的调查数据,采用一般线性模型对影响农户使用化肥行为的影响因素进行实证分析。【结果】农产品商品化率、农产品的预期收入与农户施肥强度有显著正影响,农户受教育程度、土地属性、对环境的认知、测土配方技术和土壤深松技术推广、有机肥补贴政策对农户施肥强度有显著负影响。【建议】结合大都市在资本、市场、科技、人才、信息等方面的优势,政府部门应加大对农户健康、环保方面的培训与宣传力度、加快土壤深松和测土配方施肥等技术的推广、强化有机肥补贴和供给政策,同时要加强农产品的标识管理、加快农产品认证制度建立,在引导或管理使农户科学合理施肥方面发挥主要作用。 【目的】探讨分析农户在农业生产过程中影响化肥使用量的因素,为促进农户在农业生产过程中合理使用化肥提供参考。【方法】利用北京郊区202个农户的调查数据,采用一般线性模型对影响农户使用化肥行为的影响因素进行实证分析。【结果】农产品商品化率、农产品的预期收入与农户施肥强度有显著正影响,农户受教育程度、土地属性、对环境的认知、测土配方技术和土壤深松技术推广、有机肥补贴政策对农户施肥强度有显著负影响。【建议】结合大都市在资本、市场、科技、人才、信息等方面的优势,政府部门应加大对农户健康、环保方面的培训与宣传力度、加快土壤深松和测土配方施肥等技术的推广、强化有机肥补贴和供给政策,同时要加强农产品的标识管理、加快农产品认证制度建立,在引导或管理使农户科学合理施肥方面发挥主要作用。     

农业分工、农户分化与水稻生产机械化服务——基于江西的实证

水稻机械化服务是农业机械化服务的重要组成部分,在推进农业现代化进程中发挥巨大作用。本文运用粮食主产区（江西）1237份农户调研数据,通过构建Probit、Tobit模型,实证分析农业分工、农户分化对水稻主要生产环节机械化服务的影响,研究表明：（1）在耕地环节,农业分工（农业生产环节外包数量、水稻商品化率）、农户分化（非农就业人数占比、以水稻种植面积分化的小农户和规模农户）中除水稻商品化率,余下变量均对农户采用机械化服务产生显著影响;（2）在收割环节,农业分工、农户分化相关变量对农户采用机械化服务产生显著影响;（3）针对水稻耕种收综合机械化服务水平,农业分工、农户分化相关变量对水稻耕种收综合机械化服务水平产生显著影响,并据此提出有效推进农业分工深化,合理引导小农户与现代农业发展有机衔接,完善农机服务环境等相关建议。     

高地租必然不利于农户保护耕地质量吗?——基于广西的问卷调查

以广西壮族自治区农户调查为例,验证土地成本对农户耕地质量保护行为有何影响。基于Binary Probit和Biprobit模型,研究发现:土地租金越高时,农户反而更可能采纳测土配方与秸秆还田这两类耕地质量保护行为。分样本回归发现,相对规模较小的农户,土地成本会促使经营规模较大农户更积极的采纳测土配方和秸秆还田两类绿色技术类保护措施。进一步的研究表明,农户之所以更倾向于施测土配方肥,是因为这类保护性措施能显著降低农业生产成本和有效提升农业经营性收入,更倾向于采纳秸秆还田技术则是因为这类耕地质量保护行为能够显著提升农业经营性收入。说明高地租并不必然导致农户消耗地利,面对地租成本压力,采纳绿色技术类耕地质量保护措施也是农户的可能选择之一。