Formal and informal contract farming in Mozambique: Socially embedded relations of agricultural intensification

This paper explores the role of contract farming arrangements in agricultural intensification in sub-Saharan Africa, combining secondary literature and original case material from Mozambique. The paper extends the scope of “contract farming” beyond the formal contracts between large companies and small-scale producers to include less formal credit agreements between farmers and traders. It argues that such informal contract arrangements are evidence of farmers' agency in “real markets.” In the studied cases, farmers use contract farming opportunities to intensify agricultural production by investing in irrigation and inputs. While informal contracts typically concern locally consumed crops, thus with more possibilities for side selling than formal contracts for export crops with company-controlled markets, informal contract compliance reflects closely knit social ties between the contracting parties. In both formal and informal contracts, purchasers tend to seek out producers who are already irrigating, thus obtaining gains from farmers' earlier investments. This also implies contract farming as a mechanism for accelerating social differentiation arising from unequal access to irrigation. The paper argues that the significance of informal contracts in the studied cases raises the possibility that informal contract farming by local traders plays a more important role in agrarian transformation in Africa than formal contract farming by large companies.     

The role of knowledge,attitudes and perceptions in the uptake of agricultural and agroforestry innovations among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

Despite the great potential of agricultural innovations, the uptake by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa seems to be slow. We reviewed existing theories and frameworks for the uptake of agricultural innovations and found that these tend to emphasize the role of extrinsic factors such as the characteristics of the adopter and the external environment in the decision-making process. In this paper, we argue that intrinsic factors such as the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of the potential adopter towards the innovation play a key role, but this has been less studied. We present an analytical framework that combines both extrinsic and intrinsic factors in farmers' decisions to adopt new agricultural technologies and apply the framework to agroforestry adoption as a case study. We review the literature on agroforestry adoption in sub-Saharan Africa and identify the extrinsic and intrinsic variables affecting the uptake of agroforestry technologies. We conclude that the uptake of agricultural technologies is a complex process influenced by both extrinsic and intrinsic variables, and recommend that future studies aiming to understand the adoption process of agricultural innovations take into account both sets of variables. A mechanistic understanding of how intrinsic and extrinsic factors interact and drive adoption can help in targeting technologies appropriately to ensure sustainability.     

How crop insurance influences agrochemical input use: Evidence from cotton farmers in China

Crop insurance is critical in risk management in global agricultural production (e.g. by helping stabilise farmers' incomes in the long term and reducing risk-bearing costs). In this paper, using field survey data on cotton farmers in Xinjiang, China, we examine the influence of crop insurance on farmers' behaviours regarding agrochemical inputs and aim to investigate the synergy between crop insurance and reductions in fertiliser and pesticide usage. We find evidence that crop insurance significantly negatively affects farmers' use of fertilisers and pesticides, as well as significantly positively affects their adoption of green agricultural technologies (GAT) that can replace or complement traditional fertilisers and pesticides. Moreover, our results reveal that compared with small-scale farmers, crop insurance has a stronger effect on large-scale farmers' use of agrochemicals. Finally, when the insured amount is higher or the relative deductible is lower, farmers are more likely to reduce fertiliser and pesticide usage and adopt GAT. Overall, this paper scientifically identifies crop insurance can improve farmers' agrochemical input behaviour, by reducing farmers' use of traditional agrochemical inputs and increasing their adoption of GAT, which is of great significance for ensuring the safety of the agricultural ecological environment.     

劳动力禀赋、耕地破碎化与农户生态耕种决策行为

[目的]为清晰识别影响农户生态耕种决策行为的影响因素,为我国农业可持续发展,加快耕地数量、质量和生态“三位一体”保护目标的实现提供参考。[方法]文章利用江西省11市47县（区）共1 488份农户的调研数据,从农户劳动力禀赋结构转变和小农生产造成耕地破碎的两大社会现象切入,采用双栏模型将农户生态耕种决策行为分为采纳意愿和采纳程度两个阶段进行实证分析研究。[结果]（1）以中位数为划分依据,有生态耕种采纳意愿的农户数占样本总数的67.20%,有采纳意愿的农户对10项具体生态耕种行为的平均采纳数为5.323项;（2）家庭总人口对农户生态耕种采纳意愿与采纳程度均呈负相关、劳动力人数均呈正相关,兼业程度对农户生态耕种采纳程度呈正相关,耕地破碎化对农户生态耕种采纳意愿呈负相关;（3）农户生态耕种决策行为还受到受教育程度、农业收入占比、是否加入合作社、是否享受农业补贴等因素影响。[结论]政府及相关管理部门一方面应注重农户临时务工平台搭建,拓展相关信息视野以提升生态耕种采纳度;另一方面应规范和推动土地流转与土地整治,促进土地规模化经营,降低破碎度。     

农业技术培训、经营规模对农业生产效率的影响——以水稻栽培技术为例

目的 提高农业生产效率是推进农业现代化建设的重要指标。方法 文章基于江西省512份微观调研数据测算出农户的农业生产效率,运用Tobit模型、PSM模型以及分位数回归模型分析了农业技术培训、经营规模对农业生产效率的影响。结果 研究结果表明,农业技术培训对农业生产效率的提高具有显著促进作用,且参与农业技术培训可使农户的农业生产效率提高9.32%;不同经营规模农户参与农业技术培训对农业生产效率的提升效应存在差异,规模户提升效应为28.18%,显著高于小农户的6.97%;农地经营规模对农户农业生产效率具有显著影响,并呈现出“倒U型”关系;农业技术培训、经营规模对不同分位点的农户农业生产效率均具有显著正向作用,并有递增趋势,同时对高效率组的促进作用要明显高于低效率组的农户。结论 政府应积极拓宽农业技术推广渠道,加快转变技术推广方式,同时鼓励适度规模经营,进一步提高农户农业生产效率。     

农户高效低毒农药施用行为影响因素及差异性分析基于冀、鲁、豫3省598份西瓜甜瓜种植户的调研数据

目的 通过构建市场、政府、社会3个维度的理论分析框架,文章探究了农户高效低毒农药施用行为的影响因素并进行了差异性分析,以期为高效低毒农药的有效推广提供理论参考。方法 基于冀、鲁、豫3省598份调研数据,运用Logistic模型进行实证研究。结果 （1）绿色认证、政府补贴、技术培训、与农资店员的交流程度均能正向影响农户施用行为。（2）不同种植规模、不同种植年限、不同技术认知限定下,影响农户高效低毒农药施用行为的因素存在差异。小规模种植限定下,绿色认证对农户的高效低毒农药施用行为具有正向影响;短期种植限定下,与农资店员的交流越频繁农户越有可能施用高效低毒农药;不认可高效低毒农药重要性限定下,进行过绿色认证、与农资店员交流程度的提高可以引发农户的施用行为;而政府补贴、技术培训则始终是影响农户行为的重要因素。结论 因此建议引导农户积极进行绿色认证、拓宽政府补贴的范围、扩大技术培训渠道、促进农户与农资店员的常态化交流、实施差异化的激励措施。     

基于选择实验法的农户秸秆资源化利用政策偏好研究

目的 秸秆资源化利用是促进农业经济增长和缓解环境污染的重要措施。方法 文章基于选择实验法和山东省978个农户调研数据,对农户秸秆资源化利用政策偏好问题进行研究。结果 （1）随着农户经营规模增加,其对秸秆进行资源化利用意愿将不断增强,小规模、中规模和大规模农户选择“愿意”的比重分别为54.9%、77.7%和82.8%。（2）秸秆禁烧政策、农户直接补贴、技术培训和完善市场等政策能显著提高农户秸秆资源化利用率。（3）是否参加合作社、便利性认知、污染认知、政策认知和资源化利用意愿对农户秸秆处理行为有显著影响。（4）不同规模农户对秸秆资源化利用政策偏好优先序存在较大差异。其中,小规模农户对农户直接补贴的接受意愿最高,其次为技术培训;中规模农户对农机购置补贴的接受意愿最高,其次为技术培训;大规模农户对完善市场的接受意愿最高,其次为农机购置补贴。结论 要提升农户秸秆资源化利用积极性,必须制定多元化、综合性的秸秆资源化利用政策,同时强化对农户的技术培训和设备支持。     

农户生计资本对新型农业社会化服务采纳行为影响研究

目的 文章旨在探讨农户生计资本对新型农业社会化服务采纳行为的影响,从产业链全过程视角下推动农户新型农业社会化服务采纳行为。方法 基于可持续生计分析框架,利用江西省569个农户实地调查微观数据,构建二元Logitics模型实证生计资本对农户新型农业社会化服务采纳行为作用关系。结果 （1）受教育水平、农业劳动力数量、耕地面积、家庭年收入、是否加入合作社、是否担任村干部、获取农业信息渠道数量对产前环节新型农业社会化服务采纳行为具有正向显著影响;（2）农业劳动力数量、耕地面积、家庭年收入、获取农业信息渠道数量对产中环节新型农业社会化服务采纳行为具有正向显著影响;（3）受教育水平、耕地面积、家庭年收入、是否加入合作社、是否担任村干部、获取农业信息渠道数量对产后环节新型农业社会化服务采纳行为具有正向显著影响;（4）耕地块数对新型农业社会化服务全过程采纳行为具有负向显著影响;（5）距离县城公里数、村庄地形、经营方式对农户生产全过程新型农业社会化服务采纳行为均有正向显著影响。结论 据此提出提供再教育培训,引导劳动力回流;推进“小田并大田”与“宜机化”改造;拓宽农户收入渠道,稳步提升家庭收入;创新农民组织功能,拓宽农业信息渠道;优化服务主体布局,发展多种经营模式的对策启示。     

农户兼业化程度对农业保险偏好的影响机理与实证分析

目的 随着农业结构调整深入推进,农户的收入来源逐渐多元化,文章通过研究农户兼业化程度对不同类型农业保险偏好的影响,为针对性推广农业保险提供依据和参考。方法 以湖北、湖南、河南3省粮食主产区的732份农户调查数据为基础,运用Logit模型和多元Logit模型分析农户兼业化程度对保险种类偏好的影响,讨论种植规模在务农收入占比和保险种类选择之间的调节效应,以是否有固定非农工作将农户分为不同类型的兼业农户进行异质性分析。结果 （1）务农收入占比高的农户偏好传统的物化成本保险,务农收入占比低的农户更喜欢新型指数保险。（2）兼业化程度相同的情况下,大规模农户比小规模农户更愿意保成本、保产量。（3）不同类型的兼业农户保险偏好存在差异,有固定非农工作的兼业农户比没有固定工作的兼业农户更愿意选择新型指数保险。结论 有必要在务农收入占比高、种植规模大、没有固定非农收入的农户中推广传统的物化成本保险;在务农收入占比低、种植规模小、有固定非农收入的农户中推广新型指数保险。     

河南农民收入的影响因素分析及增收策略研究

河南省作为我国的农业大省,农业人口数量在全省占有相当大的比重,河南省农民的收入水平在一定程度上影响着河南省的整体收入水平,所以增加河南省农民的收入对河南省的整体经济水平有着提升性的作用,但目前河南省农民的收入水平在全国处于较低的水平。文章就河南省农民增收影响因素进行分析,对河南省农民人均纯收入及增长百分比进行统计和计算,并将其与经济较为发达的省份相比较,发现河南省农民收入增长不稳定,且与经济发达地区差距较大。对河南省农民收入构成进行剖析得知,影响河南省农民收入增长的因素主要是家庭经营性收入、工资性收入、财产性收入和转移性收入。并针对这些影响因素提出了完善农村基础设施建设、加快适销对路农产品的生产、促进农业产业化经营、加强对农民的科学素养教育、加强乡镇企业吸纳农民就业、农业发展公司化等一系列有助于河南省农民增收的策略。     

基于SEM的农户绿色农业生产行为研究——来自新疆352个样本农户的证据

目的 农户作为生产经营的主体,农户的绿色生产行为决定着绿色农业的发展方向。此研究分析影响农户绿色农业生产意愿及行为的相关因素及路径。方法 文章基于新疆各地州的352份农户调研数据,运用结构方程模型实证分析各影响因素对农户绿色生产行为的影响程度以及各影响因素的形成机理。结果 （1）农户对绿色农业的认知、政策的引导、感知利益和绿色生产意愿与农户的绿色生产行为呈正比,感知成本则对农户绿色生产意愿和行为具有负向作用。（2）农户的绿色认知越清晰,绿色生产意愿越强烈,政府的政策补贴和推广力度越强,越能刺激农户进行绿色生产行为。（3）农户感知到花费的金钱、劳动和精力越多,则会削弱农户的绿色生产行为。结论 行为态度、主观规范、行为控制和感知利益对农户绿色生产行为均有正向作用,其中各项指标对农户绿色生产意愿和行为的影响程度各不相同,但相对而言,农户的行为态度和主观规范对绿色生产意愿的影响更为显著,感知利益对农户绿色农业生产行为影响更强。     

Land use consolidation in Rwanda: The experiences of small-scale farmers in Musanze District,Northern Province

The modernization and intensification of agricultural production in Africa has long been a policy goal, for increased productivity and food security. In 2008, the Rwandan government implemented various land and agricultural reforms to transform Rwandan agriculture from subsistence farming to market-oriented production. Central to this agricultural transformation was the Crop Intensification Programme, intended to increase the agricultural productivity of high-potential food crops and encourage land use consolidation, i.e., the joint cultivation of large areas, which was expected to deliver important economies of scale. This programme has been criticized, for example, for authoritarian implementation, negative effects on food security from sole-cropping a few selected crops, and increasing rural socioeconomic differentiation.This paper analyses the effects of the land use consolidation programme at the household level, as experienced by small-scale farmers in Musanze District in the Northern Province of Rwanda. The paper draws on 45 individual and 22 collective qualitative semi-structured interviews with small-scale farmers and local key informants in five sectors, conducted in 2013 and 2014.The findings show that there is satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and resistance to the programme, especially regarding the selected crops to be cultivated. The programme, including supporting mechanisms, seems to work well for the relatively better-off farmers, who have bigger and scattered land areas, whereas it does not work well for poor farmers with very small plots, which is common in rural Rwanda.     

规模分化视角下农户有机肥替代化肥意愿及行为分析——基于川渝柑橘主产区果农调查数据的实证

[目的]有机肥替代化肥有利于改善生态环境、提升地力和农产品品质。但实践中不同农户替代意愿及行为差异较大,意愿与行为之间也存在悖离。文章从农户规模分化视角探讨这些现象背后的缘由,并提出有效激励异质性农户替代行为的对策建议。[方法]基于有机肥替代化肥技术属性,构建经营规模影响农户替代意愿及行为的分析框架,利用川渝柑橘主产区农户调查数据,运用双变量Probit模型,实证分析不同规模农户替代意愿、行为差异及其关键影响因素。[结果]（1）规模分化对替代意愿及行为有显著影响,相较于小农户,规模户替代意愿及行为发生率更高;（2）由于影响因素的差异,农户替代意愿与替代行为存在一定偏差。相较于规模户,小农户替代意愿与行为缺口较大。（3）不同规模农户替代意愿及行为影响因素也存在显著差异。[结论]农户规模分化带来的异质性是有机肥替代化肥意愿及行为差异的重要原因,规模户的培育有利于有机肥替代化肥行动的推进。不同规模农户替代意愿及行为影响因素不同,应在充分尊重异质性农户意愿的前提下有针对性地引导其有机肥替代化肥行为。     

加入合作社对农户绿色生产技术采纳的带动效应——基于福建柚农的调查数据

[目的]在农业生产资源趋紧和环境承载压力的双重考验下,合作社能否以及如何带动农户采纳绿色生产技术成为亟待回答的重大现实问题。[方法]文章基于福建省501户柚农的调查数据,以施用有机肥、生物农药和测土配方施肥3种绿色生产技术采纳为例,运用内生转换模型分析加入合作社对农户绿色生产技术采纳的影响及其作用机理。[结果]（1）加入合作社能促进农户采用绿色生产技术,在反事实假设条件下,加入合作社农户若未加入时,其绿色生产技术采纳积极性和采纳强度会降低,未加入合作社农户若加入时,其绿色生产技术采纳积极性和采用强度会提高,用工具变量法进行稳健性检验后,结论仍然成立。（2）加入合作社促进农户采纳绿色生产技术主要通过提升农户绿色生产认知这条路径实现,其中介效应占比为20.7%。（3）加入合作社对农户绿色生产技术采纳的影响存在群组间差异,加入合作社对规模较小农户、参与完全横向合作模式农户的带动效果更显著,合作社产前的统一农资和规定农药化肥清单、产中管理的生产检查和田间技术指导、产后的统一包装和销售等管理和服务,以及合作社分红,对农户绿色生产技术采纳的带动效果更显著。[结论]要大力支持合作社发展,鼓励农户加入...     

Site selection to test an integrated approach to agricultural research for development: combining expert knowledge and participatory Geographic Information System methods

The sub-Saharan Africa challenge programme is designed to address the problems of failures of agricultural markets, inappropriate policies and natural resource degradation, that contribute to the continuing deterioration of livelihoods and food security in the region. It is seeking to do this by redefining the roles of scientists and farmers through collaborative learning processes, addressing questions about the level, timing, type and formof participation, as well as themost effective approaches andmethods to foster them. The research domains of the programme deal with sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture, the sustainable management of natural resources, the development of efficient markets, and the promotion of enabling policies. One question that was addressed in designing the initiative was deciding where to work so as to maximize the chances of successful testing of this new approach, so that it would lead to significant reductions of rural poverty. A participatory process was put in place to design a framework to accomplish this site selection, and then to apply it in west, east and southern Africa. A mixture of spatial data analysis and expert knowledge on spatial and non-spatial factors was used, and one primary site in each region was identified to form the basis for the next phase of the challenge programme. Several lessons were learnt from the process, including the importance of adapting themethods to actual conditions, the increased utility of targetting when the quantitative and the qualitative are freely combined, and the continued need for baseline spatial and non-spatial data to improve the targeting of research in the future that is designed to alleviate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.     

Estimating Input Complementarities with Unobserved Heterogeneity: Evidence from Ethiopia

The level of technology adoption is often characterised as low in Africa. Recent evidence, however, points to the coexistence of substantial heterogeneity across farm households and the lack of a suitable mix of inputs for farmers to take advantage of input complementarities. We use a random coefficients multivariate probit model to quantify the complementarities between agricultural inputs and alternative forms of unobserved heterogeneity effects in modeling farmers' technology adoption decisions. The empirical analysis reveals that, conditional on various types of unobserved heterogeneity effects, farmers' technology adoption decisions exhibit strong complementarity for some inputs. The analysis also reveals substantial unobserved heterogeneity effects. We show that ignoring these behavioural features (unobserved heterogeneity and input complementarity) has important implications in quantifying the effect of some policy interventions that are meant to facilitate technology adoption. In particular, ignoring these features leads to significant overestimation of the effectiveness of extension services.     

农业机械化水平对农户主粮生产的影响

[目的]粮食问题关系国家安全、政治稳定和社会安定,是实施乡村振兴战略的首要任务。深入剖析新时期下农户粮食生产的影响因素,是保证国家粮食安全的现实要求。[方法]文章基于农户实地调研数据,运用工具变量法和样本选择修正模型分析农业机械化水平对农户主粮生产的影响。[结果](1)农业机械化水平对农户主粮生产有显著的正向影响,农业机械化水平每提高1%,农户主粮单产就提高1.219%,其中,水稻单产增加1.220 7%,小麦单产增加0.807 6%,玉米单产增加1.106 4%,马铃薯单产增加1.3798%。(2)从控制变量来看,户主受教育年限、户主务农经验、粮食补贴、农药化肥投入和平原地形都对不同主粮作物生产有积极作用,家庭外出务工占比、土地流转和气候极端变化都对不同主粮作物生产有消极作用。[结论]在农户不大幅调整当前主粮种植结构的前提下,适当增加马铃薯种植面积,提高种粮农户农业机械补贴力度,推广农机社会化作业服务模式,从而提高粮食产量,保障国家粮食安全。     

资本禀赋、政策机制对东北地区“旱改水”行为影响研究——基于黑龙江、辽宁两省调研数据

目的 通过分析资本禀赋、农业政策对东北地区农户“旱改水”行为的影响,从农业支持政策、经济资本、社会资本、文化资本等方面探究农户“旱改水”行为的作用机理。方法 文章基于布尔迪厄的实践理论建立资本禀赋理论分析框架,利用黑龙江、辽宁两省639个农户微观调研数据,采用Logit模型实证分析东北地区农户“旱改水”行为的影响因素。结果 （1）预期稻谷最低收购价水平提高,农户继续改种水稻意愿增加,说明农业支持政策与“旱改水”意愿正相关。（2）农户收入水平、耕地面积、水田面积对用户“旱改水”意愿具有负向影响,表明经济资本与农户改种水田的意愿负相关。（3）加入合作社、亲戚朋友和邻里信任程度均对农户继续改种水田产生显著正向作用,表明社会资本与农户“旱改水”行为正相关。文化资本的影响并不显著。（4）农户年龄越大、具有外出务工经历其继续改种水稻意愿较低。结论 加强和完善农业政策支持,打通“地、技、利、义”等关键要素,引导农户合理调整种植结构,保障国家粮食安全。     

TPB-NAM框架下规模农户绿色优质农产品生产意愿研究——基于江苏省的调查数据

[目的]针对规模农户生产绿色优质农产品的意愿及形成机制开展研究,对于提升绿色优质农产品供给能力、推动农业绿色发展具有重要意义。[方法]文章以计划行为理论（TPB）和规范激活理论（NAM）的整合模型作为理论框架,利用江苏省1 228份规模农户调研数据,通过结构方程模型（SEM）对规模农户绿色优质农产品生产意愿的影响因素进行验证分析。[结果]（1）感知行为控制和对绿色优质农产品的认知两个变量对生产意愿的影响程度明显高于行为态度、主观规范,且对绿色优质农产品的认知还可通过行为态度的中介效应间接影响生产意愿;（2）个人规范不仅可以被结果意识直接激活,还可通过责任归属的中介效应被间接激活;（3）规模农户在考虑生产绿色优质农产品时,出于成本—收益的“利己”动机要高于出于道德义务感的“利他”动机;（4）随着种植面积的增加,感知行为控制和个人规范对绿色优质农产品生产意愿的影响效应逐渐增强。[结论]要兼顾“利己”和“利他”两个维度,发挥规模农户行为态度、主观规范、感知行为控制、对绿色优质农产品的认知、个人规范的积极作用,激发规模农户绿色优质农产品生产意愿,扩大绿色优质农产品供给。