价格上涨压力下农村留守妇女的生计策略:生计多样化

本文利用2012年安徽省JC区农村妇女生计策略和家庭福利调查数据,分析了劳动力外流背景下价格上涨压力对农村留守妇女生计多样化策略的影响。研究发现,价格上涨的客观评价及心理负担在农村留守妇女、准留守妇女及非留守妇女当中并无显著差异,然而面对价格上涨的宏观经济环境和风险时她们会采取不同的生计策略,其中丈夫外出会促使农村准留守妇女和留守妇女采取较高程度的生计多样化策略,尤其是农村准留守妇女,对家庭经营活动的参与率最高,而农村留守妇女对子女教育活动的参与率最高;生产资料价格上涨客观评价、生产资料和消费品价格上涨心理负担对生计多样化均呈显著正向影响,且上述影响关系受到生计资本各因素的作用。     

Farmer Initiatives and Livelihood Diversification: From the Collective to a Market Economy in Rural China

This paper explores how, despite relatively undifferentiated economic, cultural and land tenure conditions, some farmers in a rural area of Hebei Province, north-east China, have managed to devise innovative livelihood activities that provide them with better living standards than the majority of villagers. The research concludes that the dynamics of farmer innovations emerge from a variety of factors: the building of effective social networks and sources of information, 'enlightenment' deriving from small-group interactions, and the construction of trust relations, self-help and cooperation. These factors belong to the sphere of social resources rather than to those of natural, physical, human or financial assets. Hence it is social components that constitute the mobilizers of change in regard to farmers' livelihood development.     

林业企业发展多种经营十题谈

鹤立林业局是１９５８年建局的老企业 ,资源危机、经济危困在这里表现的尤为突出。发展多种经营是缓解林区“两危”的必由之路。那么 ,怎样发展多种经营 ,根据十几年的工作实践和林业的现实情况 ,试谈１０个问题。１ 发展多种经营要建好龙头企业多种经营生产 ,由于在项目上存在着多样性、技术上存在着复杂性 ,管理上存在着分散性 ,所以业主之间往往不能自发地、有效地联合 ,形不成规模。产业化水平低 ,参与市场竞争的能力非常弱。怎样改变这种被动局面 ,最好的办法就是林业局要建立若干个龙头企业 ,用龙头企业来统领全局的同类项目 ,形成龙…     

Determinants of Export Marketing Channel Design to Developed and Developing Countries: Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study is intended to analyze the differences in the organization of export marketing channels to developing and developed countries from the perspective of exporters in a developed country. Our evidence seems to suggest that despite high transaction costs, U.S. seafood exporters are not interested in vertical forward integration of the Japanese and Western European seafood distribution channels. The U.S. seafood industry is geared toward providing raw materials to foreign re-processors than exporting value added products. Thus, lack of management commitment to foreign end-users makes vertical forward integration difficult. Hence, unlike in developing countries, the choice of an efficient transaction governance structure for the U.S. seafood export business depends on factors derived from transaction cost theory and management commitment to foreign markets. The study found that resources are not a problem to U.S. seafood exporters.     

Income Diversification of Rural Households in China

This article examines how different patterns of farm‐level diversification affect the income levels of rural households in China. Using quantile regression analysis of data from a rural household survey, the empirical results exhibit significant differences in diversification effects across rural income strata and various structural characteristics. Diversification, especially involving nonfarm employment and migration, brings a monetary premium to low‐income rural families and an income discount to high‐income families. The policy implications suggest the encouragement of labor‐intensive enterprises in rural areas and improvement of labor quality through rural education and training programs.     

Collateral,Guaranties and Rural Credit in Developing Countries: Evidence from Asia

The paper reviews the theory of the impact of loan collateral, and in particular land collateral, in institutional and non-institutional rural credit markets. Evidence from three Asian developing countries is presented, showing extensive use of land collateral among institutional lenders in countries where such collateral is legal. The use of land collateral is more common than other forms of security, except in places where legal inhibitions on mortgaging agricultural land exist. Non-institutional lenders are less inclined to use land collateral. However, lenders who do not have links to borrowers in matters other than finance are more likely to use loan securities. Estimates of instutional credit supply and demand in rural Thailand confirm that the pledging of land collateral affects the supply of credit more than group guaranty. It is also shown that larger farmers are more likely to utilize land collateral. The conclusion is that land collateral is preferred by instutional lenders as it reduces creditworthiness assessment costs. Attempts to ban or limit collateral use by decree are motivated by equity considerations, but they will cause loss of efficiency. Simplification of ownership verification and other policies reducing the transaction cost of collateral pledging will mitigate the negative equity implications of collateral.     

农村企业生产率及影响因素分析

本文利用2002-2006年我国30个省份的农村企业面板数据,使用Malmquist和Bootstrap DEA方法估算了农村企业全要素生产率,重点考察了不同产权性质企业的全要素生产率和影响因素。研究表明,我国农村企业生产率2002-2006年总体呈现增长趋势,不同产权类型企业的技术效率和技术进步率显著不同;在影响生产...     

A Livelihood and Farming System approach for effective conservation policies in Protected Areas of Developing Countries: The case study of the Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique

Effective conservation requires that conservation policies and management decisions first target local actors who are dependent on natural resource use in Protected Areas (PA) of Developing Countries (DC). In rural areas of DCs, these actors are mainly farmers who also rely on off-farm activities such as harvest of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) to complement their livelihoods. Here, we propose a novel approach to support the development of policy interventions aimed at achieving conservation goals through the sustainable development of local people in PAs of DCs. The approach consists in identifying the main Livelihood and Farming Systems (LFS) and select those that are more conservation-friendly, and that may contribute to solve conservation and development problems such as Human-wildlife conflict. Identifying the existing LFS can also help in searching for conservation-relevant improvements that can contribute to local people wellbeing, considering the existing FS as the starting point for a sustainable development strategy in PAs of DC. Data from the Niassa National Reserve (NNR), the largest PA in Mozambique, were used to develop this LFS approach. Measures of effort applied in harvesting NTFPs and in managing agricultural inputs and outputs were collected from 329 households through a structured survey. Cluster analysis was performed to identify and characterise the main LFS in the NNR. Based on the cluster results, we have identified four livelihood systems (LS): gatherers, hunters, farmers and employees; four farming systems (FS): specialized in maize, rice and sorghum, and a mixed FS. A Multinomial Logistic Model was also applied to understand the drivers of LFS choice. Livelihood systems were mainly driven by household-level socio-economic factors, while FS were driven by village-level biophysical conditions. Households who were employed and had diversified farming and off-farm activities were better off and more resilient to climate change and crop-raiding animals. Intensification appears to occur gradually but has found to be limited by rainfall availability. Based on our findings, we propose that conservation experts and policy-makers should use a LFS approach to re-frame the conservation narrative in PAs of DCs and promote the existing practices that can better protect biodiversity while improving livelihood and welfare of local people.     

Impact of Crop Diversification on Rural Poverty in Nepal

Crop diversification into high‐value crops (HVCs) can be an important strategy to augment income, generate employment, and reduce poverty in developing countries. We study the impact of crop diversification (share of production value obtained from the HVCs) on household (HH) welfare measures in Nepal. We use three rounds of the nationally representative Nepal Living Standard Surveys: NLSS I (1994/95), NLSS II (2004/05), and NLSS III (2010/11). The dose–response function, propensity score matching, and instrumental variable techniques are used to estimate the impact of crop diversification. Results show the positive impact of HVCs on the monthly per capita consumption expenditure and poverty outcomes. Among HVCs growers, HHs growing vegetables have the better welfare outcomes. While establishing the relationship between degree of agricultural diversity and poverty measures, we find that the marginal farmers need to at least derive 35% of the share of revenue from HVCs to escape from poverty.     

农村发展中的生计途径研究与实践

20世纪90年代以来，在总结过去研究和实践经验基础上，国际发展研究机构和非政府组织针对农村发展领域中的农村扶贫、社区自然资源管理和环境保护等问题，在研究和实践中，提出并采用生计途径来解决上述问题，取得了许多研究和实践成果。本文就生计的概念、生计分析框架、生计途径和生计途径的研究和实践给予简要评述。     

Robust Comparisons of Malnutrition in Developing Countries

We use Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to make international and inter–temporal welfare comparisons. While most poverty analyses rely on expenditures or income, we use anthropometric measures of nutrition as indicators of living standards. The advantages are that we observe individual—not household—well–being, deflators and exchange rates are unnecessary, and measurement techniques are similar across surveys. We test the robustness of the headcount results, and find that applying higher order Foster–Greer–Thorbecke poverty measures adds little information; although stochastic dominance testing of nutrition distributions reveals that changes in malnutrition are sensitive to the choice of the "nutrition poverty line."     

发展乡村旅游:解决农村民生问题的一种路径选择

解决民生问题是当前贯彻落实科学发展观、构建社会主义和谐社会面临的重大课题,更是党和国家政治生活的主题。农村的民生问题包括了农村就业创业、农村社会保障等诸多方面。发展乡村旅游,是解决农村民生问题的一种路径选择。     

Effects of Non‐Farm Employment on Rural Income Inequality in Developing Countries: An Investment Perspective

This paper makes several points based on a review of household survey evidence from Africa, Asia and Latin America. (i) In contrast to conventional wisdom, the evidence is very mixed as to the effect of non‐farm employment on rural income inequality. The non‐farm employment and microenterprise programmes now in vogue will not necessarily resolve rural income inequality problems and attendant social tensions nor automatically benefit the poor. (ii) Policymakers should be worried by substantial evidence of poor people's inability to overcome important entry barriers to many non‐farm activities. (iii) The main determinants of unequal access to non‐farm activities are the distribution of capacity to make investments in non‐farm assets and the relative scarcity of low capital entry barrier activities. Therefore, it is crucial for public investments and policy to favour an increase in the access of the poor to assets that allow them to overcome non‐farm employment entry barriers, (iv) It would be an error to assume that one can address asset‐poverty and inequality in the non‐farm sector without addressing farm‐side problems and vice versa.     

Maddening Myths of Agricultural Marketing in Developing Countries

Some officials in developing country governments, development experts, and donor agency representatives adhere to false assumptions about the organization and performance of food systems in developing countries and to preconceptions about the roles of certain participants in the food system. While these views may have at least a partial basis in fact, empirical studies have generally shown that the views are flawed in important respects or not widely applicable. Nevertheless, these preconceptions can be pervasive, often having a negative impact on developing country policies, regulations and programs affecting the food system. The author argues that one important role of food system analysts is to challenge the myths, presenting empirical evidence in concise and skillful fashion to skeptical policy-makers, specialists and donor agency officials.     

Consumption Trends of Edible Mushrooms in Developing Countries

Abstract

Mushrooms are an important commodity worldwide. However, a thorough understanding of consumption trends is not yet available. In developing countries, the importance of edible mushrooms within consumer preferences and perceptions has not been studied. We carried out a study (2000-2003) to understand the patterns of mushroom consumption in central Mexico, where most wild/cultivated mushrooms are produced and/or marketed. About one-half (49.4%) of urban consumers bought mushrooms, independently of their social level [fresh or canned: white button mushroom (Agaricus), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus), shiitake (Lentinula). Preferences and perceptions from Mexican consumers depended on the social level. Mushroom prices were considered very or moderately expensive. Mushrooms were markedly more expensive than foods widely consumed. The variation of mushroom prices was a major factor influencing consumption. Basic data to carry out further marketing research are discussed, as well as an integral strategy considering social levels and regions to increase mushroom consumption.     

国际农村合作金融发展经验及其启示

经过100多年的发展,农村合作金融组织已遍及全世界。无论在发达的西方资本主义国家,还是在发展中国家,信用合作运动都有了长足的局长。从对世界各国合作金融发展进程的考察可以看出,不同的国家在不同的时期采取了不同的合作理论。一个多世纪以来,以德国雷发巽合作原理为基础形成的雷发巽式农村合作银行遍布全欧洲,英国罗虚代尔原则则成为英国、美国和加拿大等国家大部分农村合作银行建立的基础。     

The Variable Response of Agricultural Supply to World Price Instability in Developing Countries

This paper analyses the effect of world price instability on the agricultural supply from developing countries and determines to what extent this effect is dependent upon the macroeconomic environment. Producers from agricultural commodity‐exporting countries are particularly vulnerable to the fluctuations of world prices: they are widely exposed to price shocks and have little ability to cope with them. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of risk‐coping strategies is conditioned by the influence of macroeconomic factors (infrastructure, inflation and financial deepening). Thus country‐specific price indices are established, and the response of production indices to price instability indices is estimated by using a panel model including macroeconomic variables which interact with price instability. Such analysis is based on a sample of 25 countries between 1961 and 2002. The results highlight a significant negative effect of the world price instability on supply, and further show that high inflation, weak infrastructure and a poorly developed financial system exacerbate this effect.     

气象指数保险在发展中国家的实践与启示

气象指数保险因其自身具有降低道德风险、抑制逆向选择、管理成本低、易实施再保险等优点,受到世界银行等国际组织的青睐,并将重点应用于农业来解决发展中国家的农业风险问题。气象指数保险计划在墨西哥、印度、马拉维、埃塞俄比亚等发展中国家相继试点并应用。为保证气象指数保险计划的顺利开展,发展中国家注入政策支持与组织保障等一系列措施。同时,发展中国家实施气象指数保险过程中也面临一系列的困难。借鉴气象指数保险在发展中国家的已有实践,对于我国探索实践和大面积推广气象指数保险有重要的实践价值和现实意义。