New state liability exceptions for agritourism activities and the use of liability releases

Agritourism activities have gained importance as a mechanism for some farmers to broaden their sources of income. As businesses have pursued agritourism activities, they have been concerned about liability for personal injuries of participants. In some states, providers of agritourism activities have presented legislators with ideas for an agritourism statute to limit liability for injuries resulting from inherent risks. Four new agritourism statutes have been enacted, while six other states have adopted alternative liability provisions that may apply to some agritourism providers. The agritourism statutes provide an affirmative defense to providers to eliminate liability for inherent-risk injuries. An analysis of the statutory provisions shows legislatures making choices on the assignment of liability for accident injuries and the ability of providers to obtain releases from negligence. Because the agritourism statutes impose prerequisites and do not stop meritless lawsuits, they do not offer much assistance to agritourism providers. An evaluation of policy issues suggests that legislatures might consider additional options to address agritourism providers’ concerns.     

国家级休闲农业园区的分布、类型与优化布局

休闲农业是推进农业现代化和转型升级的重要抓手,成为乡村地理与旅游地理研究的重要课题。国家级休闲农业园区是休闲农业的龙头,在促进一二三产业融合互动、带动农业、农村发展和农民致富等方面具有明显示范效应。利用我国960家国家级休闲农业园区数据,采用GIS空间分析、归纳等方法,分析了全国尺度以及东部、中部、西部和东北地区四大区域尺度国家级休闲农业园区空间分布及其类型结构。结果表明:1)在分布模式上,国家级休闲农业园区主要依托城市呈集聚型分布;2)在分布格局上,每个区域内国家级休闲农业园区分布都存在明显的集聚区,在全国尺度上,这些集聚区在区域间具有连绵成片、形成大集聚带(区)的趋势;3)各区域间国家级休闲农业园区的开发主体结构、主导功能类型的构成比例没有明显差异,但资源依托和区位选择的类型构成比例存在区域差异。根据研究结论,提出在东部地区依托城市人口打造休闲农业集聚带、提高中部地区休闲农业发展集聚度、加强西部和东北地区部分省区休闲农业开发力度、围绕风景名胜打造休闲农业集聚区等空间布局优化建议。同时,还提出了四大区域内国家级休闲农业园区类型结构的优化建议和发展方向。     

Farmer seed enterprises: A sustainable approach to seed delivery?

A major reason for the low adoption of modern varieties of seed among small-scale farmers in developing countries is the inability of formal, centralized seed production systems to meet their complex and diverse seed requirements. Drawing on experiences in Uganda with the common bean, the paper proposes seed production by farmer seed enterprises (FSEs) as a strategy for meeting dual objectives: to sustainably distribute and promote modern crop varieties and to establish a regular source of clean seed of either local or modern varieties. It reports on lessons learned from the Ugandan experience and offers a conceptual framework and guidelines for establishing economically and institutionally sustainable FSEs. While FSEs offer a potentially sustainable solution to the problem of seed supply, the challenge of implementing and scaling up this approach in eastern and southern Africa remains formidable. Collaborative linkages need to be fostered between farmers, researchers, agro-enterprise specialists, NGOs, and the formal seed industry. Seed policy reforms need to be implemented and more client-oriented research systems must be institutionalized.     

产业集聚视角下的福州市休闲农业发展研究

借鉴产业集聚常用定量研究方法,选用行业集中度、空间基尼系数和区位熵等集聚度评价指标,测评得出福州市休闲农业整体呈弱集聚状态,且存在地区发展不平衡、项目同质化等问题,据此提出打造福州市休闲农业集聚中心区的对策：进行福州市休闲农业产业布局空间整合,从培育棱心企业和促进中小企业集聚两个层面提升福州市休闲农业集聚水平,充分发挥政府在公共物品和信息化建设方面对休闲农业产业的推进作用,产学研相结合为福州市休闲农业发展提供人才支持.     

南京观光农业园观花植物调查及景观营造分析

了解南京市观光农业园观花植物资源使用情况,寻找现存问题,提出营造策略及发展建议,从而为提升观光农业园景观多样性及农业园的竞争力与吸引力提供科学参考。研究以南京为例,选取南京市内15个类型的观光农业园,采用实地调查的方法对观花植物种类、观赏期、色彩、配置手法进行分析研究。结果表明:南京市观光农业园观花植物层次丰富,景观营造方式多样,但季相景观效果仅集中于春夏两季,且每季观赏时长较短,观花植物的花色以红色系列为主,不同农业园观花植物材料相似,同质化较为严重。在此基础上提出如下营造策略及发展建议:适地适花,延长植物观赏期;一园一景,构建园区特色化;尽善尽美,挖掘植物文化之韵。     

农村振兴背景下信息服务投入效应对创业绩效影响机制研究

[目的/意义]在农村创业热潮不断推进的背景下,探索农业信息服务赋能农民创业绩效的影响关系,对加速科技成果转化、驱动农村创业具有重要意义。[方法/过程]在全信息转化的理论框架下,基于农村返乡入乡创业创新试点监测工作的相关调查数据,以新型高素质农民为研究对象,搭建以信息服务供给水平为主变量的门限模型,从服务转化能力的角度,深入探索信息服务对新型高素质农民创业绩效的影响机制,以剖析信息服务与创业绩效的内在作用机理。[结果/结论]研究结果显示,农业信息服务对新型高素质农民创业绩效的影响并不是简单的线性促进关系,而是呈现出一种“单一门限”效应的非线性关系,当农业信息服务供给水平超过一定的门限阀值时,信息服务对创业绩效的正向促进作用降低了43.6%。这表明,IT生产率悖论也存在于农村创业发展过程中,因此,应当根据实际情况制定农业信息服务供给策略,避免过度投入,同时还应结合提升农民教育与信息化素质、加快农村创业基础设施建设等措施,实现农村创业质量的有效提升。     

农民创业能力评价与比较

基于蒂蒙斯-克里斯蒂安创业过程等相关理论及文献,结合浙江省实地访谈和问卷调查相关数据,构建了农民创业能力评价指标体系,并将农民创业分为农产品生产为主、农产品加工为主、农产品销售为主和其他等4种类型,比较了不同类型农民创业者创业能力差异并分析了差异原因。结果表明:由于农民社会网络、知识体系以及思想观念等局限,农民创业能力总体偏低,得分最高的是资源整合能力、最低的是机会识别能力,而创业能力可以通过系统教育、学习、交流等形式加以培养和提升,但对不同类别农民创业能力提升在内容和方法上要有差异性,特别是得分较低的能力要针对性的培养,以提升农民创业整体能力。本研究完善了农民创业能力评价理论基础,为政府及农民自身针对不同类型农民创业者提升其创业能力提供理论依据和实践指导。     

农户耕地利用影响因素二元Logistic回归模型分析——以新疆阿瓦提县为例

[目的]分析阿瓦提县农户耕地利用的主要影响因素,为引导农户合理利用耕地、提高耕地产出效益、推进耕地可持续利用提供依据.[方法]二元Logistic回归模型.[结果]阿瓦提县劳动力数量、耕地投入、政策补贴、灌溉保证率、耕地面积、农产品市场、土壤质量、农业保险等依次对农户耕地利用的影响比较显著,各因素的影响差异客观存在.[结论]应从提高耕地集约利用水平,完善农业水利设施建设,增加农业生资补贴,推行农业生产政策保险等方面引导农户合理利用耕地.     

Agent农业土地变化模型研究进展

农业土地变化是全球变化与可持续研究的热点,当前研究虽取得了长足进展,但仍存在诸多不足,集中表现在对农业土地系统复杂性与动态性的认识不够.近年来,基于Agent的农业土地变化研究(农业ABM/LUCC,Agent-based agricultural land change modeling)逐渐兴起,极大的丰富了传统研究的理论与方法,具体表现在:(1)农业ABM/LUCC将微观层面的人类个体行为整合进土地变化研究框架,有助于更加清楚的认识农业土地系统的“人类-自然”综合复杂性问题.(2)农业ABM/LUCC能够动态表达土地系统变化的内生反馈机制,有助于弥补传统的静态土地变化驱动机制分析的不足.(3)基于ABM/LUCC的农业土地利用格局动态研究是整合“人类-自然”综合研究的关键桥梁,农业ABM/LUCC能够与其他生物地球物理模型或经济模型动态嵌套,使多尺度、多维度综合模型研究成为可能.然而,农业ABM/LUCC研究也存在诸多挑战,如理论研究滞后于应用研究,大尺度应用难以开展,以及农户行为的模拟结果很难得到校验等.     

农业保险促进农户规模化经营了吗？——基于农地转入视角

农地流转规模的不断扩大为农业生产经营规模化提供了有效途径。农业保险可以为农户提供风险保障,有助于化解农业规模化经营带来的风险扩大问题。然而,现阶段赔付水平下的农业保险对农户规模化的影响仍有待研究。本研究基于山东和辽宁两省1 377户农户的微观调研数据,运用倾向得分匹配法（PSM）从农地转入角度分析了农业保险对农户农地经营规模的影响,并通过Heckman两阶段模型进一步分析了农业保险赔付对农户农地转入的影响。结果表明,农户个人特征、家庭特征、农业生产经营特征及对农业保险的认知在不同程度上影响了农户参保决策。农业保险可以促进农户农地转入规模的增加,有利于规模化经营。然而,当前农业保险赔付水平较低,风险保障作用有限,导致其仅能促进大规模农户进行农地转入。此外,农业保险对农地转入的影响还具有地区异质性。鉴于此,本研究建议进一步扩大农业保险覆盖面,助推农业生产规模化经营;提高农业保险保障水平,优化农业保险赔付方式;同时推动农业保险精细化发展,注重“普惠性”与“差异性”并存。     

循环经济理论指导下的农业旅游可持续发展

循环经济倡导所有经济活动对自然环境的负面影响尽可能降到最小。农业旅游在快速发展的过程中,面临着2个产业对资源和生态环境的压力。以循环经济理论指导农业旅游发展,有助于将农业生产对旅游环境的负面影响降到最低,使以旅游为龙头的各个相关产业有机结合和协调发展,维护和改善生态环境,提高企业管理水平,降低经营成本,提升企业形象,从而促进旅游消费观的形成,促进旅游业的可持续发展能力的建立。在农业旅游发展过程中推行循环经济理念需要在外部环境改善、企业意识提升和消费者素质提高等方面做出努力。参20     

Learning in context through conflict and alignment: Farmers and scientists in search of sustainable agriculture

This article analyzes learning in context through the prism of a sustainable dairy-farming project. The research was performed within a nutrient management project that involved the participation of farmers and scientists. Differences between heterogeneous forms of farmers knowledge and scientific knowledge were discursively constructed during conflict and subsequent alignment over the validity and relevance of knowledge. Both conflict and alignment appeared to be essential for learning in context. Conflict spurred learning when disagreeing groups of actors developed their knowledge in order to strengthen their arguments. Conflict caused self-referentiality when the actors no longer listened to each other. This inhibited self-reflection, thus blocking ongoing learning. Nevertheless, after a period of alignment, scientific models and knowledge of farmers were reevaluated and recontextualized. Through determining how to use scientific models and farmers knowledge for further learning, aimed at a shared goal, the participating actors also learned how to learn.Jasper Eshuis is a PhD candidate in the Department of Communication Management at Wageningen University, The Netherlands. His research deals with multiple land use, governance processes, and farmers decision-making. He is currently interested in monitoring and trust.Marian Stuiver is a PhD candidate in the Department of Rural Sociology of Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Her current research focuses on nutrient management, farmers innovation, and co-production of knowledge within the agricultural sciences.     

新型职业农民农业科技素质评价及培训需求调查分析

为了探究新型职业农民农业科技素质水平的评价方法及其培训需求,填补相关研究的空白,采用问卷调查及评分法,以烟台市农村发展带头人为例,评价分析了新型职业农民农业科技素质水平及培训需求。结果表明,农民的农业科技素质属中等水平,有待于进一步提高。农民最感兴趣的知识是“农业实用技术”和“农业经营管理知识”,95.24%的调查对象对未来依靠科技进步增加收入是有信心,农民获取农业科技知识和销售农产品的途径需要进一步拓宽。农民土地经营规模和年经营土地的收入与农业科技素质均表现为呈极显著正相关。98.04%的被调查者表示愿意参加有关新型职业农民的培训,要求注重培训内容的实用性和培训方式的灵活多样。     

Sustainable agriculture in Michigan: Some missing dimensions

Michigan's approach to sustainability does not conflict with its efforts to reindustrialize state agriculture. As currently applied, agricultural sustainability remains a one-dimensional concept tightly focused on the condition of production resources and the larger physical environment. The social and political dimensions of sustainability, by contrast, are conspicuously absent. Using Michigan's livestock initiative as a case in point, it is argued that this conceptualization conforms to and reinforces the reindustrialization of agriculture and the existing structure of power within the industry.Laura B. DeLind is a Specialist in the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Her current research focuses on the economic and political structure of Michigan agriculture. She has written numerous articles critically evaluating the effects of state agricultural programs and policies at the local or community level.     

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。     

Converting or not converting to organic farming in Austria:Farmer types and their rationale

Reasons for converting to organic farming have been studied in a number of instances. However, the underlying rationale that motivates the behavior is not always made clear. This study aims to provide a detailed picture of farmers decision-making and illustrate the choice between organic and conventional farm management. Based on 21 interviews with farmers, a decision-tree highlighting the reasons and constraints involved in the decision of farmers to use, or not to use, organic production techniques was formulated. The accuracy of the decision-tree was tested through a written survey of 65 randomly sampled farmers. The decision-tree permits the identification of decision criteria and examines the decision-making process of farmers in choosing their farming method. It also allows for the characterization of farmer strategies and values, identifying five types of farmers: the committed conventional; the pragmatic conventional; the environment-conscious but not organic; the pragmatic organic; and the committed organic. The importance of taking into account heterogeneity in farmers attitudes, preferences, and goals and their impact on the choice of a farming method is emphasized.Ika Darnhofer is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Economics at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna. She received both her MSc and PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna, working on issues of agricultural development in Africa. Her current research interests include economic and sociological analyses of factors that shape farmers land use decision-making behavior, with a particular focus on organic farming.Walter Schneeberger is a Full Professor of Farm Business Management and Head of the Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Economics at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna. His current research interests include the economics of producing and processing agricultural products and farm business management for both conventional and organic farms.Bernhard Freyer is a Full Professor of Organic Farming and Head of the Institute of Organic Farming of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna. His work on organic farming focuses on its agronomic aspects (plant cultivation, crop rotations, and soil fertility) as well as on the analysis of conversion to organic farming (planning process, farm development) and its potential for regional development.     

农产品安全视角下农户化肥施用决策研究

化肥是农产品生产的必要投入要素之一,在促进农产品生产数量的同时,污染土壤环境、水环境以及危 害农产品的品质安全等负外部效应也逐渐彰显。以安徽省5 个县区的126 个农户为样本,对农户的化肥施用行为 进行分析,结果表明,施肥农户农民年龄偏大,受教育程度偏低耕作习惯固化家庭种植规模小等现象普遍,此外, 农户希望得到施肥技术等培训指导,但真正参加过农技培训的农户却很少,同时,农户的个人特征和家庭特征因素 对农户的化肥施用行为有显著影响,且对施肥的不同阶段的行为其影响的显著程度不同,因此,提高农户的文化教 育水平,加强农业技术培训和推广,加快农户间土地流转,对规范农户化肥施用行为进而改善农产品质量安全水平 具有基础性的作用.     

加入合作社对农户提供农机服务行为及效益的影响研究

农业机械化水平是衡量现代农业发展的关键指标,农户是农机投资和提供农机服务的主力军。本文基于2019年福建、四川、山西的1 433个农户的微观调查数据,分析了农户加入合作社对其提供农机服务行为及其经济效益的影响。研究结果表明:相较于未加入合作社的农户,加入合作社的农户提供农机作业服务行为的动机更强,经济效益水平更高。而且不同地形条件、不同经营规模的农户加入合作社对其提供农机服务行为及经济效益影响不同,坡度低的地形条件下及中规模农户加入合作社对其提供农机服务行为及效益更显著。由此,本文提出四点政策建议:一是充分发挥农民专业合作社作用,引导农户提供农机服务;二是加强坡地基础设施和小型农机建设;三是激活农机服务市场,支持不同规模农户提供农机服务;四是鼓励农机服务规模经营发展,提高农机服务专业化水平。     

河南省农地流转的现状、困境与对策

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