Challenges and Opportunities for Chinese Agriculture

Challenges and Opportunities for Chinese Agriculture
Author: Wensheng Chen
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 545
Release: 2020-07-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9811535361

This book elaborates on the transformation of agricultural development in China into the construction of a “resource and ecologically sound society”, and the coordinated development of industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization in China. It focuses on the multiple goals of transforming the Chinese agricultural development model, inner motivations, approaches, and supporting systems under environmental and resource constraints. The author endeavors to build a theoretical framework for transforming agricultural development model in the construction of a “resource and ecologically sound society". To achieve this, the author addresses successively across seven chapters issues such as the multiple goals of China’s agricultural development transformation under resource and environmental constraints, the transformation of the utilization mode of resources, “resource and ecologically sound agriculture”–oriented agricultural production system transformation, the transformation of commercialized rural service system, and institutional innovations in the “resource and ecologically sound” agricultural transformation.

Food Security and the Modernisation Pathway in China

Food Security and the Modernisation Pathway in China
Author: Marie-Hélène Schwoob
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2018-01-26
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 331965702X

This book aims at providing students, experts and practitioners with a detailed overview of agricultural and food security issues in China, analyzed through the lenses of a multidisciplinary approach that enables to fully grasp the current socio-political challenges and lock-ins of agricultural transformation towards more sustainable practices. Confronted to a running decrease and degradation of its resources and rapidly evolving food habits, China became a net importer of food in 2004, and its agricultural balance has since become heavier every day. Beyond providing a comprehensive overview of these stakes, this book also presents consistent and original first hand research material, collected by the author during months of fieldwork in China, in the countryside and from various economic and political circles. Conclusions drawn from this often difficult to access) fieldwork shed light on the whole galaxy of public and private stakeholders taking part in agricultural modernization in China, on their interests and on the patterns of power that underlie the development and implementation of agricultural policies.

Agroecology in China

Agroecology in China
Author: Luo Shiming
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 458
Release: 2017-03-27
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1315360152

Key features: Reviews the development of agroecology in China, including research, practice, management, and education regarding challenges for rural and agricultural progress Presents information from sources not readily available in the West about agricultural development in China during the last several decades Provides models and indicates starting points for future research and practice Addresses how to meet future challenges of agroecosystems from the field to the table in China from scientific, technological, and management perspectives During the past 30 years, industrialization has fundamentally changed traditional rural life and agricultural practices in China. While the incomes of farmers have increased, serious issues have been raised concerning the environment, resource depletion, and food safety. In response, the Chinese government and Chinese scientists encouraged eco-agriculture, the practice of agroecology principles and philosophy, as a way to reduce the negative consequences of large-scale industrialized systems of farming. Agroecology in China: Science, Practice, and Sustainable Management represents the work of experts and leaders who have taught, researched, and expanded Chinese agroecology and eco-agriculture for more than 30 years. It reviews decades of agricultural change to provide an integrated analysis of the progress of research and development in agroecological farming practices. The book contains research on traditional and newly developed agricultural systems in China, including intercropping systems, rainfall harvest systems, and rice–duck, rice–fish, and rice–frog co-culture systems. It covers current eco-agriculture practices in the major regions of China according to climate conditions. The book closes with a discussion of the major technical approaches, necessary policy support, and possible major development stages that must occur to allow broader agroecological implementations toward the sustainability of future food systems in China. Presenting eco-agriculture systems that are somewhat unique in comparison to those of the United States, Latin America, and Europe, Agroecology in China gives insight on how Chinese agroecologists, under the political and cultural systems specific to China, have created a strong foundation for ecologically sound agroecosystem design and management that can be applied and adapted to food systems elsewhere in the world. By using selected regional examinations of agroecological efforts in China as examples, this book provides models of how to conduct research on a broad range of agroecosystems found worldwide.

Conservation agriculture in China

Conservation agriculture in China
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Total Pages: 110
Release: 2023-01-19
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9251368953

While the agricultural production in China has made great achievements, it is also facing challenges affecting the sustainable development of agriculture. Conservation agriculture (CA) is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance (i.e., no-tillage and direct seeding), maintenance of a permanent soil cover (mulch or cover crops), and diversification of plant species (crop rotations that include leguminous species). CA has been adopted in more than 100 countries worldwide and has become one of the most effective and widely used farming systems and technology for dryland agriculture. The adoption of CA can bring agronomic, environmental and economic benefits, and is of great significance to the development of green agriculture in China. This publication focuses on the development path, opportunities and challenges, development suggestions, technology and equipment, experiences, case studies and future scenarios for CA in China aiming to support the extension and adoption of CA in China and globally. This publication is part of the Country Investment Highlights series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.

Sustainable Ecological Agriculture in China

Sustainable Ecological Agriculture in China
Author: Tian Shi
Publisher: Cambria Press
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2010
Genre: History
ISBN: 1604977159

Ecological economics emphasizes the two-way interdependencies between the micro and macro levels. Although the questions about ecological agricultural research arise from the local level, their answers may lie at higher levels within the realm of political economy. Therefore, it requires substantial research not only on the links between local production systems and the larger national economy, political structures, and decision-making processes, but also the role and limitations of the national and local authorities in policy development and implementation. There is also scant research on Chinese ecological agriculture published in English. This book helps fill the void. It employs a trans-disciplinary approach to investigate the connection and discrepancy between knowledge and actions. It presents methodological perspectives and practical suggestions for the comprehensive analysis of ecological agriculture as inputs to improved agricultural policy-making for sustainability practices. In this way, this book illuminates the possibility of bridging the gap between local level implementation and the larger political-economic processes. This book helpfully provides a comprehensive analytical framework within which agricultural sustainability can be better analyzed and understood by articulating ecological economics as a policy science to guarantee transparency and fairness in the decision-making process . It shows the important role that traditional culture can play in promoting ecologically and socially sound development. It further emphasizes the imperative to move the ideology of ecological agriculture into the political realm and promotes a continuous dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. It also suggests that local government has a significant role to play in establishing appropriate institutional arrangements and policy settings (e.g., bottom-up policy initiatives) for sustainable ecological agricultural development. By elaborating on the methodological synthesis of ecological economics and system dynamics modeling as a holistic approach to facilitate an improved policy-making process for agricultural sustainability, this book demonstrates the effectiveness of this alternative approach to improve policy making process and facilitate the realization of sustainability through a case study in China. This book will be an important resource not only to those interested in China, but also to scholars and policy makers around the world because of its global relevance in the areas of ecological economics, ecological agriculture, sustainable resource management, political economy, system dynamics thinking and modeling, and participation in the policy-making process.

From Food Scarcity to Surplus

From Food Scarcity to Surplus
Author: Ashok Gulati
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 430
Release: 2021-02-07
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9811594848

This book brings together unique experiences of India, China and Israel in overcoming economic, social, and natural resource challenges. Through its eleven chapters, the book captures the role of groundbreaking innovations in achieving unprecedented agricultural growth and stabilizing these nations. It provides a future outlook of the new challenges that will confront these countries in 2030 and beyond, related to tackling food and nutrition security, sustainable agricultural growth and adhering to improved food safety standards. This book provides useful insights for exploring technological innovations and policies that can address these future challenges and develop profitable and sustainable agriculture. This volume also highlights valuable lessons that India, China and Israel provide for the rest of the developing world where population is growing fast; natural resources are limited; and it is a challenge to produce enough food, feed and fibre for their populations. Tracing the historical past, this book is an impressive resource for academicians, policymakers, practitioners, agribusiness players, entrepreneurs in understanding the role of innovations in addressing future challenges.

Development of Sustainable Agriculture in China

Development of Sustainable Agriculture in China
Author: Santosh Mishra
Publisher:
Total Pages: 23
Release: 2015
Genre:
ISBN:

Sustainable agricultural development comprises sustainability of agricultural production, sustainability of the rural economy, ecological and environmental sustainability within agricultural systems and sustainability of rural society. China's prime aim is to ensure current and future food security. Based on projections of China's population, its economy, societal factors and agricultural resources and inputs between 2000 and 2050, total grain supply and demand has been predicted and the state of food security analyzed. Total and per capita demand for grain will increase continuously. Total demand will reach 648 Mt in 2020 and 700 Mt in 2050, while total grain yield of cultivated land will reach 470 Mt in 2010, 585 Mt in 2030 and 656 Mt in 2050. The per capita grain production will be around 360 kg in the period 2000-2030 and reach 470 kg in 2050. When productivities of cultivated land and other agricultural resources are all taken into consideration, China's food self-sufficiency ratio will increase from 94.4% in 2000 to 101.3% in 2030, suggesting that China will meet its future demand for food and need for food security. Despite this positive assessment, the country's sustainable agricultural development has encountered many obstacles. These include:a. agricultural water-use shortage; b. cultivated land loss; c. inappropriate usage of fertilizers and pesticides, and d. environmental degradation.This paper aims to give an insight into opportunities and challenges of sustainable agricultural development in China. It also introduces the concepts and aims of Chinese sustainable agriculture. The paper concludes that the current ecological agricultural development in China is the result of a long-term planning system and the outcome of a number of market principles that have been introduced in the last three decades. It is imperative to move the ideology of ecological agriculture into the political realm and promotes a continuous dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.