Breeding for Africa's new smallholder maize paradigm

This paper describes the evolution of a newly emerging smallholder maize paradigm in southern Africa beginning in 1996. This new paradigm involves the breeding, extension, and adoption of a new generation of open-pollinated ‘flinty’ maize varieties that specifically address the needs of southern African smallholder farmers for seed varieties that can be replanted (recycled) and that resist drought and low fertility problems increasingly common in southern Africa. The described mechanism is the extension and breeding work of the Southern Africa Drought and Low Fertility programme (SADLF) of the Centro Internationale por la Mejoridad de Maize y Trigo (CIMMYT). This paper explains the devolution of southern African maize production in the past two decades from centralized large-scale producers to smallholder farms, signalling a shift in research and plant breeding needs. The research/extension approach described here had profound consequences beyond the technical benefits of screening maize varieties for tolerance to stress; it empowered small-scale farmers to become informed consumers of agricultural technology. The transformation of the smallholder from a passive consumer to one actively seeking the best opportunity and seed to produce food, create economic opportunities and address local social conditions is an important development in the history and sustainability of maize production in southern Africa, and one consistent with modern African history of economic liberalization in the global food economy.     

农村收入差距抑制了农户创业吗?--基于流动性约束与人力资本投资视角的实证分析

改革开放以来,中国农村内部收入差距呈现扩大态势,收入差距的扩大对农村家庭产生了深远影响。本文利用2012~2016年中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)数据,研究了农村收入差距对农户创业行为的影响及其作用机制。实证研究发现,农村收入差距的扩大显著降低了农户创业的概率,基尼系数每提高0.1单位,农户创业的概率下降1.45%,这一数值约为农村地区创业比例的21%,具有显著的经济意义。通过面板数据双向固定效应模型、滞后效应和工具变量法克服内生性问题后,结果仍然稳健。研究还发现,农村收入差距的扩大显著降低了农户创业的参与人数、经营规模、经营绩效和新创企业的概率,并显著提高了创业失败的可能性,增加了从事农业生产的人数和家庭成员外出打工的概率。机制分析发现,农村收入差距的扩大提升了农户面临流动性约束的概率并降低了农户的人力资本投资,从而抑制了农户创业。此外,异质性分析还发现,农村收入差距的扩大对低教育水平、中低收入阶层和中西部地区家庭产生了更显著的负向影响。本文的研究为全面认识农村创业的影响因素提供了新视角,对更好地推动"大众创业、万众创新"在农村的贯彻实施具有政策启示。     

Perceptions and outlook on intercropping coffee with banana as an opportunity for smallholder coffee farmers in Uganda

Coffee and banana are important cash and food crops in Uganda and the surrounding East African highland region. Production is dominated by smallholders that have limited arable land and often coffee and banana are intercropped. No significant research and development efforts have been undertaken over the last few decades on this coffee/banana intercropping system. Because recent studies suggest that this system could be a practice with high benefits to the farmers, we decided to study the perceptions of stakeholders along the coffee value chain starting with farmers. Perception analysis based on open-ended interviews following interview guides revealed that a major limitation for the sustainability of this system was poor soil fertility conditions. Perceptions on the benefits of intercropping differed little among coffee actors; that is, banana intercropping provides additional food and income from smallholders’ limited land and helps farmers reduce risks related to drought, pest/disease attacks and coffee price volatility. However, farmers’ desire to minimize risks does not match the objective of stakeholders higher up the coffee value chain to maximize coffee production. Furthermore, research by public institutes, both national and international, is primarily organized for single crops and not systems. We conclude that the institutional setting of the coffee sector hampers the promotion of intercropping, despite the benefits for the farmer.     

基于竞租理论的退耕还林工程最优补助标准研究

从农户视角出发,基于竞租理论,对退耕还林工程决策集进行分析比较,确定了农户收益最大化决策,进而根据政府财政支出最少的政策目标,确定最优补助标准。通过对陕西省退耕还林工程的典型代表——延安市的4种经营类型的主要作物品种进行实证分析发现:退耕还林工程政策将会激励农户参与经济林建设。政府若要调整农户的决策类型,则需进一步提高相应类型的补助标准。     

Farmer perceptions of legumes and their functions in smallholder farming systems in east Africa

Legumes play an important role in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) farming systems through the provision of food, feed, fuel, income and a range of biophysical benefits, such as soil fertility enhancement and erosion control. However, their full potential is not being realized. The purpose of this study was to assess farmers’ perceptions and knowledge towards legumes and the rationale of farmers for current legume production practices using a survey of 268 farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. Most of the farmers had some knowledge of legumes and their characteristics. However, they had little knowledge of some key functions, including soil erosion control and soil fertility improvement. Most farmers relied on radio and other farmers for legume-related information. Farmers with relatively large livestock holdings ranked provision of livestock feed as an important legume function. We conclude that farmers put more value on short-term benefits of legumes including food and income than long-term benefits such as natural resource management and thus grain legumes are more readily identified by farmers than forage species. Also, we conclude that farmers require more than just information about legumes to increase uptake, they also require improved market access to procure inputs and sell products to realize other benefits that are associated with growing legumes.     

遂昌县推进公益林补偿收益权质押融资的措施及对策

为持续深化集体林权制度改革、农村金融改革和林权融资创新机制,遂昌县制订了推进公益林补偿收益权质押融资工作的意见,探索推广公益林补偿收益权质押融资模式,大力创新公益林收益权管理机制,有效缓解了"三农"融资难题,支持林农创业,促进林业经济发展,拓宽农村集体经济组织与农户融资渠道,助推"三农"发展。     

Adaptation of Agroforestry Systems in South-Eastern Mexico through Integration of Farmer and Bioeconomic Evaluations

Agroforestry systems have been promoted as sustainable land-use systems for regions where shifting agriculture is the traditional predominant land-use. Although environmentally sustainable, agroforestry systems require investment to establish that may affect their economic sustainability. In the southern Yucatan Peninsula 47 agroforestry plots of two timber and 10 fruit tree species were established with 22 farmers in three communities covering two rainfall zones and five soil types. Some fruit trees had wide adaptability to different soil, rainfall and management conditions, e.g. Manilkara zapota; others were restricted to the best soil, rainfall management conditions, e.g. Persea americana. The Meliaceae timber trees responded little to rainfall and soil, but stem borer attack was markedly lower in less intensively managed systems. Level of system maintenance greatly affected costs, but also opportunities for intercropping and obtaining immediate income. All levels of managements had negative net present value (NPV) for the three-year establishment phase, but so does traditional maize production. Farmers preferred to inter-crop their agroforestry systems, but were often limited by site quality. Determining sustainable agroforestry options for farmers requires multiple decisions related to species adaptability to the site, farmer production objectives and farmer capacity to invest in different management strategies. One production technology did not fit all.     

林下经济——充满生机和活力的朝阳产业

在实地调查基础上,介绍了福建、江西、广东3省发展林下经济的做法、措施、成效。由于加强了政策引导和扶持力度并注重培育典型,3省的林下经济发展充满活力。发展林下经济有效地增加了林农收入,提高了造林成效,改善了生态环境,促进了地方经济发展。从中得出几点启示。建议五级书记抓林改,制定规划统筹安排,提升林业行业服务,加大政策扶持力度。     

福建省农户分化对林地流转行为的影响研究

基于集体林权制度改革后福建省10个县(市)274户农户的抽样调查数据,运用二元Logistic回归模型,分别建立农户林地转入模型、转出模型,实证检验农户分化对林地流转的影响。研究将农户分化分为农户收入水平上的分化和农户职业上的分化。研究表明:农户分化对农户林地流转行为影响显著,其中农户收入水平对福建省农户的林地转入行为在统计上有显著的负向影响,同时,对农户林地转出行为也有负向显著的影响;农户职业分化对农户林地转入行为有显著的负向影响,却对农户林地转出有正向影响。基于研究提出以城乡发展一体化推进林地流转、建立林地流转市场、建立健全林地流转保障体系、完善林地产权管理制度、合理引导林地租赁等建议。     

设施蔬菜绿色生产技术采纳影响因素与经济效益研究——以河北省定兴县为例

[目的]农业资源环境是农业产品质量保障的基础,农业科技创新有力支撑农业产业发展,探究农业绿色生产技术的影响因素与经济效益,对保障农业产业绿色发展,提高农户绿色生产积极性具有重要意义。[方法]文章基于2020年河北省定兴县实地调研所得的219份农户数据,通过二元Logistic模型分析农户采纳绿色生产技术的影响因素,在此基础上运用倾向得分匹配方法研究技术采纳对农户家庭经济效益的作用水平。[结果]（1）虽然定兴县绿色生产技术推广取得一定成效,共有67.58%的农户采纳一种或多种绿色生产技术,但采纳程度有待提高。（2）农户的年龄、受教育程度、大棚类型、是否加入合作社、是否接受技术培训以及政府是否给予指导显著影响农户技术采纳决策。（3）采纳绿色生产技术的农户与未采纳组相比每公顷年均收入增加28.44%;测土配方技术、病虫害绿色防控技术分别带来26.52%和14.90%的增收效应,并分别在1%和5%的水平上显著,节水灌溉技术和废弃物循环利用技术增收效果不显著。[结论]绿色生产技术能显著提高农户收入,因此政府要加强对绿色生产技术的推广,通过技术培训、经济激励、构建技术推广体系等措施提高农户绿色生产...     

农户扩大经济林种植规模意愿及规模水平影响因素分析——以浙江省为例

以Probit、Tobit回归模型为主要工具,利用浙江省236户农户调查数据,实证分析了农户扩大经济林种植规模意愿及规模水平的影响因素。研究结果表明:户主年龄、受教育程度、家庭人口数、是否参与标准化项目以及对经济林发展前景判断对农户扩大经济林种植规模意愿及规模水平有显著影响;而经济发展水平只对农户扩大经济林种植规模意愿有显著影响,家庭人均收入和家庭非农收入占比只对农户扩大经济林种植规模水平有显著影响。最后,提出相应的对策建议:加大经济林宣传力度,提高农户种植积极性;完善补贴政策,保障经济林的持续经营;加强经济林质量监督,提高农户经济林收入。     

Quantifying and understanding land cover changes by large and small oil palm expansion regimes in the Peruvian Amazon

With rapid increases in global food demand and production, oil palm expansion constitutes a major emerging challenge for forest conservation in Amazonia and other tropical forest regions. This threat is evident in the Peruvian Amazon, where local and national incentives for oil palm cultivation along with growing large-scale investments translate into accelerated oil palm expansion. Environmental sustainability of oil palm cultivation in the Peruvian Amazon is contingent on policy incentives for expansion onto already-cleared lands instead of biodiverse, high carbon primary rainforests. Previous research indicates that while industrial plantations use less land area than local smallholders, companies have a higher tendency to expand into primary rainforests. However, the motivations behind these differing expansion scenarios remain unclear. In this study we combine data from optical and radar satellite sensors with training information, field discussions, and review of public documents to examine the policy incentives and spatial patterns associated with oil palm expansion by smallholders and industries in one of Peru’s most rapidly changing Amazonian landscapes: the Ucayali region of the city of Pucallpa. Based on our satellite-based land cover change analysis, we found that between 2010 and 2016, smallholders utilized 21,070 ha more land area for oil palm than industries but industrial expansion occurred predominantly in old growth forests (70%) in contrast to degraded lands for smallholders (56%). Our analysis of national policies related to oil palm expansion reveal policy loopholes associated with Peru’s “best land use” classification system that allow for standing forests to undergo large-scale agricultural development with little government oversight. We conclude that both sectors will need careful, real-time monitoring and government engagement to reduce old-growth forest loss and develop successful strategies for mitigating future environmental impacts of oil palm expansion.     

林地规模对农户林地投入的影响分析

基于浙江省3个县245户农户的调查数据,对不同林地规模下农户的投入进行统计分析的结果表明:随着地块规模的扩大,单位面积林地总投入虽然有一些波动,但总体上呈现出逐渐减少的趋势。采用多元线性回归模型对林地规模影响农户林地投入进行的分林种实证分析结果表明:林地面积对经济林及竹林地块投入均具有显著的负向影响;当年是否造林对经济林及竹林投入均具有正向影响;林业生产是否存在资金困难对竹林投入具有负向影响;林地距主干道的距离对经济林投入有负向影响;林业收入占比对经济林投入有正向影响。     

A participatory assessment of agro-ecosystem sustainability in Abesard,Iran

Participatory approaches have emerged in developing countries as an integrated and holistic system approach for assessing the agro-ecosystem sustainability. The aim is to integrate and apply knowledge about natural and social aspects of agro-ecosystems, taking into account their long-term, uncertain and non-linear relationships. The purpose of the study described in this paper was to assess the sustainability of the agro-ecosystem of Abesard in Tehran Province. A participatory landscape/lifescape appraisal (PLLA) method was used within an agro-ecological framework to assess the farmers’ sense of agricultural sustainability based on different categories of sustainability (better-off, average and poor). Results indicated that a majority of farmers think of sustainability solely as an economic issue, followed by sustainability being a combination of ecological and social concerns. Regarding the indicators of sustainability, results revealed that for farmers in the poor group, resilience and stability were critical criteria, whereas for better-off farmers, stability, reliability and resilience were generally important. However, the average group of the farmers was placed between the two groups. Overall, it was concluded that the economic status of households has an influence on the sustainability of their agro-ecosystems and that improvement of their economic situation promotes agricultural sustainability. It could also be concluded that PLLA has the potential to integrate socio-economic (lifescape) and environmental (landscape) dimensions for analysing the sustainability of agro-ecosystems.     

福建三明市林业社会化服务体系调研报告

通过对福建三明市尤溪县和永安市林业社会化服务体系建设情况的调研发现,当地的林业部门创新服务形式,成立林业服务中心提供多种社会化服务,开通科技服务热线服务林农。集体林改后,林农林业投入增加明显,林业收入占总收入的三成以上。用材林联户经营增加,以大户经营为主,出现提供采伐服务的合作组织。经济林和林下经济的生产规模扩大,生产技术服务和产品销售以农户家庭为主体,合作社发挥作用并不明显,病虫害防治等公共服务不健全。建议:政府加强对合作社的支持和管理,发挥合作社在产前和产中服务林农的功能,促进合作社在带动林农增收中的作用;进一步完善林业服务中心建设,强化公共服务职能;完善基层林业技术服务体系,加强与林农合作社平台对接。     

乡土正当性与法律正当性在林权纠纷中的博弈——基于桂南两县一区的实地调查

通过背景梳析,在对林权纠纷中地方政府、国有林场、农户的调查后发现乡土正当性和法律正当性在当地林权纠纷中存在冲突,通过分析得出当前的林权纠纷问题具有普遍性和复杂性的基本特征;从制度经济学的产权角度和农户增收角度来看,农户的土地产权应得到维护。     

Maize Diversity and the Political Economy of Agrarian Restructuring in Guatemala

The neoliberal restructuring of agriculture is often predicated on the promise of a more efficient food system: other objectives, such as access to food, the environmental sustainability of production practices, the nutritional composition of diets and the rights of food producers, are largely ignored. In this paper, I document how the liberalization of trade and agricultural policies in Guatemala has undermined the latter set of objectives, thereby compromising domestic food sovereignty and global food security. In particular, I demonstrate how neoliberal policies have undermined maize agriculture and contributed to the loss of crop genetic resources in the Guatemalan ‘megacentre’ of agricultural biodiversity. In its place, small‐scale farmers have been encouraged to conform to the country's purported comparative advantage in non‐traditional export crops. The results have been widening inequality, a growing dependence upon imported grain and agrochemicals, environmental degradation and decreased food security.     

The influence of farm input subsidies on the adoption of natural resource management technologies

Farm input subsidies are often criticised on economic and ecological grounds. The promotion of natural resource management (NRM) technologies is widely seen as more sustainable to increase agricultural productivity and food security. Relatively little is known about how input subsidies affect farmers’ decisions to adopt NRM technologies. There are concerns of incompatibility, because NRM technologies are one strategy to reduce the use of external inputs in intensive production systems. However, in smallholder systems of Africa, where the average use of external inputs is low, there may possibly be interesting complementarities. Here, we analyse the situation of Malawi's Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP). Using panel data from smallholder farm households, we develop a multivariate probit model and examine how FISP participation affects farmers’ decisions to adopt various NRM technologies, such as intercropping of maize with legumes, use of organic manure, water conservation practices and vegetative strips. As expected, FISP increases the use of inorganic fertilizer and improved maize seeds. Yet, we also observe a positive association between FISP and the adoption of certain NRM technologies. For other NRM technologies, we find no significant effect. We conclude that input subsidies and the promotion of NRM technologies can be compatible strategies.     

森林食品产业减贫的作用机理及效应分析

首先,介绍森林食品产业减贫的作用机理,主要包括解决资源落后与发展滞后的矛盾;促进贫困地区收入增长;注重多方交流互动。其次,将森林食品产业的减贫效应分为社会减贫效应、经济减贫效应、生态减贫效应这3个部分。最后,提出加强基础设施建设与品牌宣传;增加产业联动效应;持续带动地区增收等建议,以期为政府相关部门制定政策提供决策依据。     

Young farmers’ support under the Common Agricultural Policy and sustainability of rural regions: Evidence from Lithuania

The present study examines the influence of young farmers’ support system including both direct payments for young farmers and rural development measures initiatives under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the sustainability of rural regions. The intentions and decisions taken by young farmers in Lithuania are analysed within the rural sustainability concept. The empirical analysis relies on the questionnaire survey. In order to disentangle the possible effects of the CAP support on the farming sustainability (as it is perceived by the young farmers), we consider payments for farm establishment and expansion along with support for advisory services. The results show that young farmers’ support system under the CAP has the strongest perceived effect on income support in Lithuania without significant differences across different groups of farmers. The effect on investments is significantly lower for crop farms if opposed to the other farming types. Still, the results also indicate that environmental awareness of Lithuanian farmers is rather low as the demand for such advisory services appeared to be relatively low. The relatively high demand for advisory services on the business plan preparation suggests low levels of business administration and marketing skills among the young farmers, which indicates the need for development of the social dimension.