Paths out of poverty: International experience

The global community has committed, as the first priority of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. While the decline of global poverty continues, progress has slowed and remains uneven through different parts of the world. To ensure that no one is left behind in China and beyond, research will be critical to inform paths out of poverty. In this regard, it is valuable to take stock of international experiences and the various pathways out of poverty with a focus on agriculture. Africa's agricultural growth has been largely driven by land expansion and poverty reduction has been the slowest among all regions. South Asia agriculture has been led by diversification of smallholder agriculture and its poverty reduction impact has been large, but its future poverty reduction is limited by rural–urban migration and lack of formal jobs in urban centers. Social protection programs have been used by many Latin American countries as the region is more urbanized than any other developing regions. China's agricultural and economic success was driven by agriculture-led reforms and rural development. These changes brought significantly higher incomes among rural residents, which accounted for highest initial levels of poverty and hunger, and in increased availability of food at affordable prices. Investments in nutrition, health, education, clean water, and good sanitation also complemented progress. The foremost lesson is that smallholder-led agriculture growth in land scarce countries often have the largest impact on poverty reduction. Secondly, nonfarm employment and rural–urban migration must follow once agricultural productivity has reached a certain level. However, premature exiting from agriculture can do more harm. Thirdly, even before large scale poverty reduction through sectoral and regional development is exhausted, social safety nets must be established to cover those who have not benefited from growth and development. Productive social safety nets have proven to be cost-effective in many countries. Urban poverty should also be part of the protection scheme when large proportion of rural population moves to cities.     

以统筹城乡发展的视角推动土地承包经营权流转

在工业化、城市化进程中,土地承包经营权的流转作为农村土地制度的创新将极大地解放农业生产力,实现资源的合理配置;将有效地促进城乡经济的协调发展、提高土地的使用效率;将有效提高农民的文化素质,加快农村民主建设,实现农村全面进步。因此,农村土地承包经营权的流转具有现实要求,应该在统筹城乡发展的框架下建立合理的土地流转机制,以土地流转为契机配合当地的工业化和农业产业化进程,加强农民的职业技术培训,提高其在非农产业就业中的比重,从而促进整个农业的发展。     

农产品供应链对农户减贫增收的关联效应分析——基于滇、桂、苏、闽四省(区)的实证

实现小农户与大市场的有效对接既是现代农业健康发展的必然要求,又是贫困农户减贫增收的现实路径。在农业市场化改革深入推进的背景下,通过培育农产品供应链以此带动农户减贫增收致富,是当前市场化减贫的重要方向。基于滇、桂、苏、闽四省(区)农户调查数据,采用多元有序Logistic模型,分析了农产品供应链对农户减贫增收的关联效应及区域差异。结果表明,农产品供应链对农户减贫增收具有正向作用,加入农产品供应链能显著增加农户收入,而且对欠发达地区的作用发挥优于发达地区。有无加工销售、农产品出售渠道、对供应链管理认可程度等供应链融入状况关键因素对农户减贫增收影响明显。因此,重视采取整合区域农业资源与要素,培育优势农产品供应链;协调农产品供应链主体关系,构建小农户稳定融入机制;加快农村基础设施建设步伐,深入推进农业市场化改革进程等优化措施,方能充分发挥农产品供应链对农户减贫增收的带动效应。     

Farm labor contractors: The processors of new immigrant labor from Mexico for Californian agribusiness

The deteriorating living and working conditions suffered by California's farm workers and their families is associated with the escalating proportion of the agricultural labor market (ALM) provisioned by the state's farm labor contractors (FLCs). The increasing use of FLCs is the result of a restructuring strategy undertaken by Californian agribusiness to reduce the cost of labor, as well as responsibility for work place, labor, and immigration laws. The FLCs' rise to prominence as the bulwark between growers and workers within the state's ALM has been ensured by the internal dynamics of contractor firms. During almost three years of binational fieldwork in both California's San Joaquin Valley and rural Mexico I found that FLC management agents cultivate sociocultural practices and provide socioeconomic services that diffuse management-labor conflict within the agricultural sector. However, the existing literature concerning the FLCs focuses upon the firm, not its labor agents; therefore, FLC heterogeneity is emphasized, while ubiquitous management characteristics and practices are overlooked. As a result, recent legislation has had the unintended effect of augmenting the role played by management agents in processing an unending flow of new immigrant workers through the revolving door ALM, leading to the deterioration of conditions in rural California.Fred Krissman, an anthropologist, is currently writing a monograph on California's farm labor contractors as Researcher-in-residence at the Center for US-Mexican Studies at the University of California, San Diego. Fred has taught courses on issues related to immigration and rural development, and has published several articles on Californian farm workers, Mexican immigrants, and rural poverty. He will conduct comparative research on farm workers in Washington state's Yakima Valley and in San Diego County in 1996.     

贵州省土地整治促进脱贫攻坚的现状及发展建议

为深入了解有关地方开展土地整治促进扶贫开发的主要做法、典型经验和取得的成效,为下一步制定相关政策提供依据,对贵州省进行了实地调研。调研发现,贵州省近年来有效运用土地整治平台,通过建设农村生产生活设施、增加贫困地区农民就业、促进地区特色产业发展、加强土地生态环境建设等措施,在扶贫开发方面取得了突出成效,改善了农业生产条件、提高了农业生产水平、增加了农民收入、加快了农民脱贫致富步伐、加强了生态保护、促进了经济社会持续发展和通过优化用地结构保证了扶贫开发的用地需求。但是,土地整治在促进扶贫开发中也存在诸如涉农资金整合难度较大、项目管理滞后实际需要、激励政策尚未形成体系和基础工作存在薄弱环节等问题和不足,需要在脱贫攻坚中予以重视和解决。建议针对前述问题找准定位并精准施策,需加强项目资金整合、创新项目管理方式、健全激励政策体系和做好相关基础工作。     

乡村振兴实施背景下秦巴山区乡村特色产业发展路径探析---以陕西省宁强县罗家河村为例

以农业农村资源为依托，利用区域优势资源，发展优势明显、特色鲜明的乡村产业，拓宽农民增收渠道，为乡村振兴与脱贫攻坚的有效衔接带来了新的机遇。我国各地资源人文环境差异影响较大，乡村特色优势产业发展具有明显的区域特征。文章通过对陕南秦巴山区的深度贫困村罗家河村农业产业发展现状、存在问题及产业融合发展路径进行分析，以期能够从微观角度对于破题“秦巴地区乡村产业振兴”实践、因地制宜提高农村自然资源综合利用率，拓展农业多元功能，拓宽农民就业和增收渠道，保障高质量可持续脱贫具有重要参考意义。     

Analysis of the Management Policy and Comprehensive Benefit of Agriculture in the Rural Area: A Case Study on Pujiang County, China

To solve the problems of the poverty in rural areas and raise the output efficiency of agriculture, policy is the primary factor. Guiding by good policies, the design of agricultural structure and management technology are the two main technical supports for agricultural development. The authors apply the model to determine the consequences of four so-called poverty alleviation strategies： （i） intensification of production, （ii） diversification of livestock production, （iii） land expansion, and （iv） an exit from agriculture, with a set of regional poverty and biodiversity indicators. Diversification seems to be the most promising poverty reduction strategy, but requires an efficient use of animal manure in cropping systems to avoid environmental problems. Improved nutrient management in cropping systems is effective in reducing the regional nitrogen surplus, but less effective in increasing per capita income. The exit strategy is beneficial for reducing poverty and achieving biodiversity goals, but may have important social consequences, which are not addressed in this study. Further reduction of rural poverty is hampered by labor constraints during the harvesting period of high value crops, such as vegetables and fruits, which calls for research and development in the field of agricultural mechanization.     

农村土地利用视角下的环境友好乡村建设研究

农村土地利用存在多种问题,土地利用规划随意性大、农村土地产权不清、耕种地块分散、农地质量下降、休闲农业缺乏规范等问题共同制约环境友好乡村建设与发展。加强土地规划、明确农村土地产权、促进农业适度规模经营,推行环境友好型生产生活模式、建立农业生态补偿机制、培育新常态下的乡村休闲产业等举措将有利于推动环境友好乡村建设及发展。研究表明,环境友好型土地利用模式有助于推进两型农业生产体系的建设,是环境友好乡村建设的必要推动因素和解决"三农"问题的重要途径之一。     

农业发展在政策减贫过程中的中介效应研究

通过培育农业等支柱性产业从而形成持续内生发展能力已经成为减贫的重要途径。农业发展在公共政策与减贫间架起了一座桥梁,农业发展呈现出明显的中介效应,公共政策通过农业发展这一中介变量有效推动了减贫进程。按照公共政策促进农业发展,农业发展推动贫困减缓这一逻辑脉络,构建了公共政策、农业发展与减贫效应三大系统及其测度指标体系,通过建立状态空间模型,分阶段探究了2000-2015年公共政策减贫过程中农业发展在各时期的减贫作用强度及其动态演变趋势,并对农业发展在政策扶贫过程中的中介效应进行了验证。结果表明,农业发展对政策扶贫的中介效应非常显著,公共政策的减贫效应中约有45.25%的贡献来自于农业发展所产生的中介效应;单纯的公共政策对于贫困减缓和农业发展的影响呈现下降趋势,而农业发展对于农村贫困减缓的作用则逐年增强。研究表明,我国多元化的减贫体系已经基本形成,内生式减贫机制逐渐健全并已经发挥作用,公共政策对农业发展和减贫的促进作用呈边际递减态势。因此,首先要加强对农业尤其是特色农业的扶持,以更好地发挥其在减贫过程中的中介效应,其次促进当前我国扶贫攻坚战略应尽快转向换挡,千方百计推动已经形成的内生减贫系统有效运转。     

农村土地流转的深层原因探析

探析农村土地流转的深层原因,认为：土地流转是农业发展新阶段土地经营制度创新的客观需要;比较利益是促成农村土地流转的内在动力;土地流转是新时期现代农业发展的客观要求;现行法律、政策为土地流转提供了政策支持。     

The poverty of sustainability: An analysis of current positions

A short time ago the idea of sustainable agriculture was accepted only at the extreme margins of the U. S. agricultural systems. Although sustainability has now become a major theme of many U. S. agricultural groups, there remains much under-explored terrain in the meaning of sustainable agriculture. A thorough examination of who and what we want to sustain and how we can sustain them is critical if sustainable agriculture is to be a practical improvement over conventional agriculture. In order to begin this effort, this article analyzes contemporary sustainable agriculture discourse and suggests alternatives for reconceptualizing sustainable agriculture. In particular we look at three arenas of sustainable discourse—family farm/rural community preservation, food safety, and agricultural science—and address issues of class, race/ethnicity, and gender found in current sustainability positions. We find that while advocates of sustainability have succeeded in pushing agricultural researchers and policy makers to address environmental issues, we need to go much farther both in theory and practice in order to deal with equally important issues of social equity.Patricia Allen is senior analyst with the Agroecology Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work concentrates on the political economic aspects of sustainability issues in food and agricultural systems. Her edited book,Food for the Future: Conditions and Contradictions of Sustainability, will be published this spring by John Wiley & Sons.     

Farmer-Community Connections and the Future of Ecological Agriculture in California

While questions about the environmental sustainability of contemporary farming practices and the socioeconomic viability of rural communities are attracting increasing attention throughout the US, these two issues are rarely considered together. This paper explores the current and potential connections between these two aspects of sustainability, using data on community members’ and farmers’ views of agricultural issues in California’s Central Valley. These views were collected from a series of individual and group interviews with biologically oriented and conventional farmers as well as community stakeholders. Local marketing, farmland preservation, and perceptions of sustainable agriculture comprised the primary topics of discussion. The mixed results indicate that, while many farmers and community members have a strong interest in these topics, sustainable community development and the use of sustainable farming practices are seldom explicitly linked. On the other hand, many separate efforts around the Valley to increase local marketing and agritourism, improve public education about agriculture, and organize grassroots farmland preservation initiatives were documented. We conclude that linking these efforts more explicitly to sustainable agriculture and promoting more engagement between ecologically oriented farmers and their communities could engender more economic and political support for these farmers, helping them and their communities to achieve greater sustainability in the long run. Sonja Brodt is a former program evaluation specialist with the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program. Her current research focuses on extension and adoption of integrated pest management strategies by California growers and the impacts of pesticide safety training programs on farmworkers. Gail Feenstra is a food systems analyst at the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP). She coordinates SAREP’s Community Development and Public Policy grants program and conducts outreach and education to academic and community-based groups to build their capacity and leadership skills for developing sustainable community food systems. Robin Kozloff is a social science researcher and consultant in agricultural and land use policy. Karen Klonsky is an extension specialist at the University of California at Davis in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Her research focuses on the economic viability of organic and sustainable farming systems as well as the evolution of the organic market. Laura Tourte is county director and farm advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension in Santa Cruz County. Her research and extension activities currently focus on farm management and marketing for small-scale growers.     

Designing sustainable agriculture education: Academics’ suggestions for an undergraduate curriculum at a land grant university

Historically, land grant universities and their colleges of agriculture have been discipline driven in both their curricula and research agendas. Critics call for interdisciplinary approaches to undergraduate curriculum. Concomitantly, sustainable agriculture (SA) education is beginning to emerge as a way to address many complex social and environmental problems. University of California at Davis faculty, staff, and students are developing an undergraduate SA major. To inform this process, a web-based Delphi survey of academics working in fields related to SA was conducted. Faculty from colleges and universities across the US were surveyed. Participants suggested that students needed knowledge of natural and social science disciplines relating to the agri-food system. In addition, stakeholders suggested students learn through experiences that link the classroom to field work, engaging a broad range of actors within applied settings. Stakeholders also emphasized the need for interdisciplinary and applied scholarship. Additionally, they proposed a range of teaching and learning approaches, including many practical experiences. Given the diverse suggestions of content knowledge and means of producing knowledge, the survey presented unique challenges and called into question the epistemological and pedagogical norms currently found in land grant colleges of agriculture. This study has implications for land grant universities seeking to develop undergraduate curriculum appropriate to the field of SA. Damian M. Parr is a doctoral student of Agricultural and Environmental Education, in the School of Education at the University of California at Davis. His professional interests include organic farming, sustainable agriculture, experiential and transformational learning, critical pedagogy, and participatory action research. He is currently working on linking on-campus student initiated sustainable farm and food systems projects to curricula at land grant universities Cary J. Trexler is an assistant professor of Agricultural and Environmental Education at the University of California at Davis where he teaches courses in the history of agricultural education, experiential learning, and research methods for practicing teachers. His research focuses on experiential learning, sustainable agriculture education, and needs of teachers and informal educators within the context of the agri-food system Navina R. Khanna is a graduate student pursuing an MS in International Agricultural Development at the University of California at Davis. She is committed to facilitating community dialogue and education about sustainability issues. Her work at the university focuses on the process and goal of sustainability in agricultural education and campus food system sustainability. Her primary professional interests include democratic participatory process in agri-food system sustainability and urban revitalization Bryce T. Battisti is a doctoral student of Agricultural and Environmental Education, in the School of Education at the University of California at Davis. His research interests include the development of alternative models for university education that are founded on student-centered experiential learning. Specifically, he studies models of permaculture education that lead toward accredited degrees and relates these models to sustainable agriculture degree programs     

城乡一体化背景下农业现代化路径研究

为探析城乡一体化改革背景下农业现代化路径,基于观念引领、政府推动、技术诱致、层次递进等农业现代化路径选择的理论基础,以城乡一体化综合配套改革试点苏州为例,分析苏州农业现代化的特征,探讨其农业现代化的实现路径。结果表明,苏州农业现代化发展表现出农业GDP占比在经济飞速发展中趋于稳定、农业结构在深刻调整中实现转型升级、农业经营在生产要素演变中实现规模化、农业流动要素投入在科技进步中出现新趋向、农业增长方式在效率提升中逐渐转变、农民收入在城乡差距缩小中快速增长等六个方面特征。其实践路径是在科学的农业发展观引领下,政府通过农村土地、劳动力资源和支持保护等城乡一体化综合配套改革大力推动,导致生产要素的资本技术诱致,从而实现了农业基本现代化。继续全面深化城乡一体化改革,完善土地制度、培育职业农民、促进农业资本再深化,是苏州农业现代化层次递进路径的应有之义。     

现代农业园区建设的脱贫策略探讨——以苍溪县黄猫垭现代农业园区为例

我国现代农业园区的发展已取得初步成效,伴随国家脱贫攻坚行动的开展,现代农业园区建设成为落后地区脱贫的重要途径。以苍溪县黄猫垭现代农业园区建设为例,通过调研分析黄猫垭的自然资源和社会发展条件以及当地农村、农业发展现状,阐明黄猫垭建设现代农业园区的优势和内容,探讨其建设过程中的脱贫策略,旨在为四川穷困地区的农村、农业发展和农民脱贫增收提供有益参考。     

开放经济条件下农村土地使用权流转问题的思考

国际农业的竞争，实质上是农业经营主体之间的竞争。其竞争力不仅来自于资源比较优势，更来自于农业经营主体对各种资源合理、有效的利用和分配。加入WTO，要求中国农村土地资源的优化配置，在坚持、完善农村家庭联产承包责任制的基础上，加速推进农用土地使用权的合理流转。     

果树学科服务产业扶贫的实践探索与模式探究——基于华中农业大学柑橘团队为例

产业发展是脱贫致富、乡村振兴的根本之策。果树产业作为农业增效、农民增收的重要支柱产业,在产业扶贫中具有不与粮棉争地、开发自然禀赋、符合精准要求、生态环境受益等比较优势。总结了果树产业扶贫的实践探索,包括坚持短期见效与长远受益相统一、坚持育种与育人相统一、坚持技术可行与经济可行相统一、坚持做特产品和做优支撑相统一、坚持问题驱动与科技引领相统一。最后,凝练出果树学科服务产业扶贫的基本范式,建议运用系统思维,统筹好果品生长技术系统、"政府-高校-农户-市场"社会系统和果树学科支持系统,推动果树学科发展与产业发展相融共生、协调并进。     

Poverty alleviation through e-commerce: Village involvement and demonstration policies in rural China

The diffusion of e-commerce has played a significant role in recent rural economic development in China. E-commerce is also considered as an efficient channel to alleviate poverty in rural China. Voluminous studies have investigated the contribution of e-commerce to agricultural development, yet it is lacking empirical evidence as to the effects of e-commerce on rural poverty alleviation. Since the year of 2014, in order to develop rural e-commerce, Chinese government launched the National Rural E-commerce Comprehensive Demonstration Project. This gradual involvement policy offered a natural experiment for evaluation of e-commerce. Based on village-level survey data from rural China and Heckit method, our study finds that rural e-commerce has a significantly positive effect on rural income. Moreover, the effect is inverted U-shaped for the relative-poverty villages. The estimation of the propensity scores matching model confirms that the results are robust. The following policy recommendations are proposed:(1) policy support to rural e-commerce should prioritize the povertystricken villages. By doing so, the marginal income effects of e-commerce will be maximized.(2) Investment in internet infrastructure and establishment of human resources for e-commerce in rural areas will have spillover effects, increasing rural income through the "digital dividend".     

安定区旱作节水农业发展思路探索

加强农业基础建设,保障粮食等主要农产品基本供给,进一步促进农业稳定发展、农民持续增收,确保农村社会和谐发展,是今后一个时期中国农业和农村经济发展的基本任务。随着经济社会的快速发展,水资源供需矛盾日趋加剧。加快发展旱作节水农业,缓解水资源短缺约束,能够有效促进中国农业和农村,特别是贫困地区农业和农村经济的可持续发展。     

桃江县耕地利用结构优化研究

从县域尺度对桃江县耕地空间布局、作物种植结构等方面进行研究,为不同地区的耕地结构优化研究提供案例,可以完善耕地结构优化框架体系,同时桃江县作为经济欠发达县城,研究结果可以为我国广大同类地区耕地结构优化研究提供借鉴和参考,有重要的理论意义。开展县域尺度耕地结构优化研究,研究耕地综合生产能力,探索耕地资源最优配置,分析耕地结构优化的经济、社会和生态效益,对合理利用耕地资源,为区域耕地的动态平衡与区域调控,实现区域耕地的可持续利用,特别是对农业优势地区的耕地可持续发展,以及协调好耕地保护与经济发展之间的关系有着重要的实践意义。