Models of Site‐choice for Walks in Rural Ireland: Exploring Cost Heterogeneity

Farmland can confer significant public good benefits to society aside from its role in agricultural production. In this article, we investigate preferences of rural residents for the use of farmland as a recreational resource. In particular, we use a choice experiment to determine preferences for the development of farmland walking trails. Our modelling approach uses a series of mixed logit models to assess the impact of alternative distributional assumptions for the cost coefficient on the welfare estimates associated with the provision of the trails. Our results reveal that using a mixture of discrete and continuous distributions to represent cost heterogeneity leads to a better model fit and lower welfare estimates. Our results further reveal that Irish rural residents show positive preferences for the development of farmland walking trails in the Irish countryside.     

Endogenizing the Planning Horizon in Urban fringe agriculture

To evaluate the nature of farm operation longevity in urban fringe agriculture, this paper develops a model that endogenizes planning horizon and estimates an empirical model whereby anticipated longevity in farming is regressed against farm, farmer, regulatory and land market related variables. The results suggest that the length of the planning horizon is directly related to farm profitability and confirm the impermanence syndrome hypothesis that land values are inversely related to the planning horizon. Contrary to farmers’ claims that periodic land disposal provides an internal source of credit to support long-term viability, the disposition of portions of the farmland is found to shorten the planning horizon. Innovative farmers are found to have longer planning horizons while experiences with Right-to-Farm conflicts are found to result in decreased planning horizon. Given the expected continual increase in land values and the growing physical closeness of farmers to their non-farm neighbors, significant concerns remain about the long-term survivability of urban fringe farmers. This study suggests the importance of considering farmers’ planning horizon as a key component in farmland retention programs.     

Recreational demand for farm commonage in Ireland: A contingent valuation assessment

This paper measures willingness to pay (WTP) for public access and trail improvements on commonage farmland for recreational walking in upland and lowland areas of Connemara region in the West of Ireland using the contingent valuation method (CVM). Common to both upland and lowland commonage sites was the much higher ranking for infrastructural features by those WTP for scenario implementation compared to those preferring the status quo. Results for those expressing a positive WTP reveal a median willingness to pay (MWTP) for formal access with improved trail infrastructure of €12.22 for the lowlands compared with €9.08 for the uplands.     

2013年土地科学研究进展评述及2014年展望 ——农用地保护分报告

研究目的：归纳分析2013年国内外农用地保护方面的研究进展,展望未来研究趋势。研究方法：文献统计法。研究结果：2013年国内农用地保护研究比较侧重于耕地保护、农用地多功能价值分析与测算、耕地集约利用、耕地质量管控等方面,国外则侧重于生物多样性保护等方面的研究。研究结论：国内外由于制度和发展阶段的不同,农用地保护研究的内容和重点也有所差异,未来国外将会注重情景分析、农用地生物多样性、农民意愿等方面的研究,国内则将会注重耕地集约利用新技术和新机制、耕地保护产权经济机制、农用地生态功能保护制度建设、农用地质量建设途径等方面的研究。     

基于农民视角的湖北省鄂中平原类型区农地整理项目立项决策评价

研究目的:从农民对农地整理项目的需求出发,对农地整理项目立项决策进行评价。研究方法:基于熵权改进的TOPSIS法。研究结果:(1)当前影响农业生产的主要因素有自然灾害、农业基础设施以及耕地资源禀赋,因此从以上三个方面构建了基于农民视角的农地整理项目立项决策评价指标体系,进而考察了农民对农地整理项目需求的紧迫度;(2)实证分析结果显示,从农民的角度来看,湖北省农地整治立项优先顺序应为:孝南区肖港项目、随县新街项目、潜江市浩口项目、随县安居项目、孝南区陡岗项目和潜江市熊口项目;(3)基于农民视角的农地整理项目立项决策评价结果反映了目前农民对农地整理项目需求的实际要求,但与当前政府主导的农地整理项目立项决策评价结果不完全一致。研究结论:农民是农地整理的核心利益相关者和最终受益者,从农民的视角对农地整理项目立项决策进行评价,更符合农民的利益需求,因此,农民对农地整理项目需求的紧迫度越高的项目原则上应予以优先立项。     

The citizen versus consumer hypothesis: Evidence from a contingent valuation survey

This paper examines the criticism of contingent valuation put forth by Blamey, Common and Quiggin ( Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics , 1995, vol. 39, pp. 264–288). They argue that households have consistent preferences over private goods but not jointly consistent preferences over public and private goods and, hence, contingent valuation cannot uncover meaningful responses for the valuation of public goods. In this paper we argue that the motives that are manifested in choices for public goods can be explained in two ways. One is the model of the citizen, proposed by Blamey et al . (1995). The second is a model of neoclassical preferences with altruism. Given these alternative and competing explanations of choices for public goods, what matters is whether they imply differences in willingness to pay for public goods. We provide statistical evidence from a contingent valuation study of the control of deer in the USA that there is no difference in willingness to pay between those who profess 'citizen' or altruistic preferences and the rest of the presumably purely private respondents.     

情理与法理：农户分化视角下农地调整意愿研究

[目的]新一轮农地确权背景下我国部分农村仍旧坚守农地调整传统,与国家地权稳定的政策目标反向而行,探讨农户农地调整意愿影响因素对农地确权政策在调地村庄真正落实意义重大。[方法]文章基于农户分化视角,采用二元Logistic模型探讨情理因素和法理因素对农户农地调整意愿的影响。[结果]（1）无论是否控制农户资源禀赋特征,情理因素均对农户调地意愿具有显著正向影响;（2）未控制农户资源禀赋特征时,法理因素显著负向影响农户调地意愿,而控制农户资源禀赋特征后,法理因素对其调地意愿的影响并不显著。（3）法理因素在情理因素与农户调地意愿之间起着负向调节作用。（4）情理与法理对不同类型农户调地意愿的影响存在差异。[结论]为进一步减少农地调整频次,促进农地确权最终取代农地调整,推进农地调整减频替代,在强化法理对调地意愿抑制作用的同时也要弱化情理对其激励作用,针对不同类型农户采取差别化调地意愿降低策略,进一步深化以地权稳定为目标的农地确权。     

农户流转土地参加新型农村社会养老保险意愿实证研究 ——基于政策协同的视角

研究目的：通过农户流转土地参加新型农村社会养老保险意愿及其影响因素分析,为土地流转与新农保政策协同发展提供理论依据和实践参考。研究方法：实证分析法。研究结果：只有41.9%的农户愿意流转土地参加新型农村社会养老保险,其他农户并无此意愿。相对于中层次流转土地参保意愿,文化程度、家庭收入、所在区域、土地流转了解度、新农保政策了解度和满意度显著影响农户低层次流转土地参保意愿;而只有所在区域、土地流转政策了解度与满意度、新农保政策满意度对农户高层次流转土地参保意愿的影响通过显著性检验。研究结论：土地流转政策了解度和满意度是提高农户流转土地参保意愿的关键激励因素,应从农户差异、区域差异与政策协同视角,通过健全土地流转参与机制、扩大新农保筹资来源、优化土地流转管理服务、增强新农保制度弹性等措施推动土地流转与新农保政策的协同发展,提升政策合力。     

Contrasting the attitudes of farmers and the general public regarding the ‘multifunctional’ role of the agricultural sector

Using separate nationally representative surveys, this study compared the views and perspectives of farmers towards agricultural related conservation issues with that of the general public. Results suggest that both the general public and farmers expressed similar levels of concern regarding the environment as a whole. This is an encouraging sign when it comes to environmental protection, as it indicates a certain level of agreement between farmers as the group whose activities largely shape the quality of the rural environment, with the views of the general public who are the major consumers of landscape related environmental public goods. The analysis did, however, reveal important differences in attitudes in relation to certain environmental issues such as the relative importance of maintaining wildlife and habitats and having wild flora and fauna in the countryside. These activities could be seen as in conflict with farmers’ productivist attitudes. We found no significant difference in environmental attitudes between farmers who have participated in voluntary agri-environmental schemes and those who did not. Results also suggest that there is significant heterogeneity in public attitudes towards environmental issues. Specifically, age, income, place of residence and presence of children were all significantly associated with environmental preferences. The study concludes that consideration needs to be given to the different views and perspectives of farmers and the general public in formulating policy aimed at providing an optimal mix of agricultural related environmental public goods and services.     

关于实施土地流转补贴政策的研究

研究目的:通过实施土地流转补贴政策,扩大农户经营规模,保证农户增收。研究方法:规范分析法。研究结果:土地流转补贴政策的内容包含政策的指导思想、目标、原则、范围、对象、规模、标准、申报审核、资金发放、监管等10个方面。研究结论:中国现行各项农业直接补贴政策在保障国家粮食安全方面效果较为明显,在增加农民收入方面效果不大。实施土地流转补贴政策,促进农户增产增收,利于改进农业生产方式,利于解决农业劳动力老龄化问题,促进劳动力转移。实施土地流转补贴政策必须克服过度扩大经营规模和引入非农经营主体的错误倾向,由国家进行规范,并通过农村社会保障制度的建设来推动。     

农户耕地保护补偿意愿及其影响机理研究

研究目的：探讨不同地区农户对耕地保护补偿标准的意愿,并对其影响机理进行理论探讨和实证检验。研究方法：农户调查、计量模型分析。研究结果：农户对耕地保护补偿标准的意愿相对较低,其中经济发达地区的农户对补偿标准的要求要明显高于经济欠发达地区;而在影响农户耕地保护补偿意愿的诸因素中,地区差异、农户受教育水平及农户对征地的意愿发挥着比较显著的作用。研究结论：本研究为推进和落实农户耕地保护的经济补偿机制提供了借鉴与启示。     

中、东部地区基本农田规划管制农户福利损失及区域差异分析

研究目的：比较基本农田保护规划管制给东部和中部地区农户带来的可能福利损失及其差异性。研究方法：期望效用理论和对比分析方法。研究结果：（1)基本农田保护区规划对农民土地发展权及福利会带来一定程度的影响,规划管制给东、中部地区农户带来的福利损失分别为42521元/hm2?a和20309元/hm2?a,经济发达的东部地区农户的福利损失是中部地区的2.09倍。东部地区户均耕地远远小于中部,且东部地区的增量建设用地极为有限,所以东部的土地价值大于中部。（2)中部地区发生占用基本农田建房、建坟、改园、取土、挖塘、闲置等禁止性行为的概率为0.39,而东部地区发生这些禁止性行为的概率仅为0.1,说明在耕地保有目标限制下基本农田保护政策在东部经济发达地区得到较为有效的宣传。（3)以日常管制中发生频率最高的改园、取土、挖塘、闲置荒芜等禁止性活动为依据,中部地区农户的福利损失为3186—5274元/hm2?a,东部地区农户的福利损失为563—11572元/hm2?a,禁止取土行为几乎不会对东部地区农户的福利产生影响。研究结论：经济发展水平不同地区的农户对农田未来用途的预期不同,进而规划管制给他们带来的可能福利损失也有差异,在进行农田保护经济补偿时应区别对待,提高规划管制效率。     

Farmers’ intrinsic motivations,barriers to the adoption of conservation practices and effectiveness of policy instruments: Empirical evidence from northern Australia

The rate and extent of adoption of conservation practices by farmers is influenced, in principle, by characteristics of the practices and those of the farmers. Governments use policy instruments to increase the rate of adoption of practices which generate public benefits if it is deemed that privately optimal adoption rates will not lead to publicly optimal conservation outcomes. Recent nation-wide conservation programs in Australia have attracted criticism for low levels of effectiveness and efficiency. Could it be that program design has ignored key adoption factors, in particular characteristics of the target audience? If adoption is subject to personal factors, such as the motivations for farming, then it is likely that so are farmers’ responses to policy approaches and instruments. In this case study, surveys were conducted of farmers in three regions within the tropical savannas of northern Australia, where land-use systems are characterized by large-scale broad-acre beef grazing enterprises. Inter alia, these surveys collected data on graziers’ motivations, impediments to adoption of conservation practices, and perceived effectiveness of policy instruments in overcoming impediments. The research found that graziers had a very high level of conservation and lifestyle motivation and were motivated to lesser extents by financial/economic and social considerations, pointing to a strong stewardship ethic of graziers, or altruistic motif. Motivational profiles were significantly correlated with farmers’ perceptions about what constrained them from implementing conservation based management systems. Motivational profiles also explained differences in farmers’ perceptions of and stated propensity to interact with policy instruments, particularly at a regional scale and in the context of historical government interventions. On the basis of the empirical evidence presented, governments would be well advised to harness the diverse set of aspirations and motivations of farmers when designing conservation programs rather than. In particular, conservation programs need to take advantage of farmers’ stewardship ethic for maximum effectiveness and efficiency, and minimize the risk of crowding out intrinsic motivation and altruistic behaviours.     

农村水库移民农地转入意愿及其影响因素——以贵州平桥水库安置区为例

水库农民搬迁失地后,如何解决移民安置的土地调配问题,预防搬迁致贫的风险,对移民生计恢复和生产安置具有重要意义。以贵州省平桥水库移民安置区实地调研数据为基础,构建移民基本特征、农地资源禀赋、农地流转条件及环境感知程度的指标体系,并构建logistic回归模型,分析移民市场化土地流转转入农地意愿的影响因素。结果表明:移民家庭结构对农地转入意愿有显著影响,融资机会能明显提高移民农地转入意愿,征地前土地资源数量和转入的农地价值对移民农地转入意愿有显著正向作用,政府补贴、社会养老保险和农地流转组织并未产生显著影响。建议应因户施策,合理引导,增加融资机会和补贴,健全农村社会保障体制,降低土地依赖性,完善移民安置区土地流转市场,积极引导移民参与农地流转。     

Public Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Forest Disease Control in the UK

Invasive pests and diseases in trees impose a range of costs on society related to reductions in timber values, impacts on recreational opportunities and effects on forest biodiversity. These costs need to be considered when assessing control options and developing public policy. We investigate the preferences and willingness to pay of the UK general public for a range of forest disease control measures using a choice experiment with a sample of 605 people. Respondents were relatively well informed about general tree disease‐related issues, such as causes and general measures to minimise the risk of disease spread. They were less knowledgeable about specific tree diseases, with Dutch elm disease and chalara ash dieback being the most well known. We find that disease control programmes in publicly‐owned forests and forests owned by charitable trusts are more likely to be supported by the public than equivalent control programmes in privately‐owned and/or commercial forests. The nature of scientific uncertainty about diseases does not affect peoples’ preferences for disease control measures significantly. Higher respondent income, greater ex‐ante knowledge about tree diseases, and more frequent visits to forests are correlated with greater willingness to support publicly‐funded tree disease control programmes in forests. Better knowledge about tree diseases also improves the clarity of respondents’ choices. We find a negative sentiment against some disease control measures, such as clear felling of a forest, and chemical or biocide spraying. We conclude that there is significant public support for part‐financing forest disease control policies in the UK, but that this is conditional on forest ownership and the type of control measures used.     

Building new countryside in China: A geographical perspective

The central government of China recently mapped out an important strategy on “building a new countryside” to overall coordinate urban and rural development and gear up national economic growth. This paper analyzes the potential factors influencing the building of a new countryside in China, and provides a critical discussion of the problems and implications concerning carrying out this campaign, from a geographical perspective. To some extent, regional discrepancies, rural poverty, rural land-use issues and the present international environment are four major potential factors. Our analyses indicated that land consolidation, praised highly by the governments, is not a panacea for China's rural land-use issues concerning building a new countryside, and the key problem is how to reemploy the surplus rural labors and resettle the land-loss farmers. More attentions should be paid to caring for farmers’ future livelihoods in the process of implementing the strategy. The regional measures and policies concerning building a new countryside need to take the obvious regional discrepancies both in physical and socio-economic conditions into account. In a World Trade Organization (WTO) membership environment, efficient land use for non-agricultural economic development, to some extent, needs to be a priority in the eastern region instead of blindly conserving land to maintain food security, part task of which can be shifted to the central region and the northeastern region. More preferential policies should be formulated to reverse the rural brain–drain phenomenon. Based on the analyses and the complexity of China's rural problems, the authors argue that building new countryside in China will be an arduous task and a long road, the target of which is hard to achieve successfully in this century.     

天津市“以宅基地换房”的农村集体建设用地流转新模式

研究目的:探索农村集体建设用地制度改革的新模式。研究方法:案例分析法。研究结果:天津市"以宅基地换房"模式实现了农村土地和资金的"双闭合",提高了土地的利用效率,构建了新的投融资体制。研究结论:天津市"以宅基地换房"模式在城郊结合部具有一定的推广意义。     

经济发达地区农村宅基地使用权继承研究

研究目的：基于中国宅基地制度的历史变迁和现行制度及政策,揭示中国农村宅基地使用权的内涵与实质,梳理农村宅基地使用权继承相关规定的内在矛盾和各地在实践中的不同做法,分析宅基地使用权制度改革的必要性,提出中国农村宅基地使用权继承制度。研究方法：历史分析法,文献研究法和比较研究法。研究结果：中国现行制度有意回避了宅基地继承的明确,不仅法律体系存在内部矛盾,也与当前新型城镇化建设的趋势不符。研究结论：中国现行制度没有对农村宅基地使用权继承做出明确规定,在实践中导致各类损害农民利益事件的发生。走出困境的出路在于：一方面建立宅基地使用权的实物继承和货币继承制度;另一方面,继续深化户籍制度改革,推动集体成员权和户籍归属的脱钩,明确“权随人走”,保护农民对宅基地的合法权利,让农民放心进城。     

中国农户在农地流转市场上能否如愿以偿?——流转市场的交易成本考察

农地流转是实现规模经营的重要途径,尽管中国农地流转市场发展迅速,但农户在流转市场上能否转入自己想要转入数量的土地尚无人关注。本文利用全国6省1200户2000年和2008年追踪调查数据实证分析农户的流转意愿多大程度上可以在流转市场上得以实现,进而考察流转市场交易成本的存在性、对称性和动态性。研究表明,中国农地流转市场存在明显的交易成本,因此流转市场是不完善的。具体结论:第一,流转市场存在明显进入门槛,进入市场后农户也无法实现完全调整,转入户2000年和2008年分别能实现调整意愿的24%和37%,高于转出户的19%和18%;第二,流转市场的交易成本存在非对称性,转入户比转出户面临的交易门槛高,但进入市场后转入户调整意愿实现程度高于转出户;第三,从2000年到2008年,流转市场的交易门槛显著降低了,但进入市场后调整意愿实现程度并没有显著提高;第四,农资设备和劳动力等要素市场的不完善程度更严重,因此农地流转市场发挥了将土地这种"不能移动"的要素移动起来以迎合那些"本该移动"的要素功能,提高了资源配置效率。政府应进一步提高农地产权稳定性,降低流转市场交易成本,加快农业生产社会化服务业发展,完善农村劳动力市场。     

Crop diversification in Thailand: Status,determinants, and effects on income and use of inputs

Following the national policy, the Department of Agriculture of Thailand has implemented a crop diversification program in several provinces of the country. This study, which was conducted in Nakhon Pathom Province, analyzed the extent of crop diversification and its determinants using primary information collected from 245 farm households using a structured questionnaire, and from selected farmer leaders and agricultural development officials. The study also assessed the effects of crop diversification on income and the inputs used. The findings of the study revealed that nearly three fourths of the land is still being used for rice mono-cropping, indicating little success in the promotion of the crop diversification program. Paddy fields, including farms for cultivating rice under mono-cropping and diversified system, still account for 90% of the total farmland in the country. The limited impact of the program on the farming sector is attributed primarily to the variation in land and labor resources available at the farmers’ disposal as well as soil suitability. The farmers’ attendance in training and interaction with farmer groups are the other influential factors. Although cropping diversification has provided attractive financial return particularly to the small farmers, it has also accelerated the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. Broad policy instruments are therefore suggested for the effective implementation of future crop diversification programs in Thailand and perhaps elsewhere in Southeast Asia.