Search

The irrational application of chemical fertilizer affects agricultural land's supply capacity and yield quality and may lead to serious agricultural non-point source pollution. Through scientific and accurate fertilization, soil testing and formula fertilization technology (STFFT) can effectively prevent excessive fertilizer use, improve its utilization efficiency, and have significant environmental and economic benefits. Based on evolutionary game theory, this paper constructed an evolutionary game model of farmers' adoption of STFFT. We used a case study to reveal and verify the influence of farmers' environmental values, information awareness, and social network on their adoption of STFFT and its mechanism. The findings were as follows: First, there are two optimal stable states in the evolutionary system; namely, all farmers adopt or do not adopt STFFT. Second, environmental values and information awareness positively correlate with farmers' adoption of STFFT. Third, the strength of social networks can enhance the effectiveness of information awareness and environmental values, encouraging farmers to adopt STFFT. In addition, the social network plays a mediating role and moderating role in the influence of information awareness and environmental values on the farmers' adoption of STFFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information attributes characterize traceable agri-food. The perceived value of information attributes influences consumers' preferences for traceable agri-food, consisting of two dimensions, predictive value and confidence value. We examine heterogeneous preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in China's traceable agri-food market. Using the choice experiments, we explore how the traceability information, certification type, region of origin, and price influence Chinese consumers' Fuji apple choices. We identify three consumer classes by a latent class model: certification-oriented class (65.8%), price-sensitive and origin-oriented class (15.0%), and no-buy class (19.2%). The results show that consumer sociodemographic characteristics, predictive value, and confidence value are the heterogeneous sources that determine their preferences for Fuji apple information attributes. Specifically, consumers' age, family income per month, and whether the family has children under 18 significantly impact the membership probability of consumers in both certification-oriented and price-sensitive and origin-oriented classes. Consumers' predicted value and confidence value significantly impact the membership probability of consumers in the certification-oriented class. In contrast, consumers' predicted value and confidence value have no significant impact on the membership probability of consumers in price-sensitive and origin-oriented class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is going to vigorously develop a new type of agricultural business that is characterized by large-scale planting, and its farmland transfer market is expected to shift from a "buyer's market" to a "seller's market". In the literature, the optimal scale of farmland management is mainly discussed from the perspective of farmland lessees. The development of a healthy farmland transfer market should also consider the needs of farmland lessors. In this paper, we construct a farmland transfer supply function from the perspective of farmers, based on the theory of land market pricing, and apply it to assess the price–volume relationship using surveyed farmland transfer data on wheat farmers in Henan Province, China. The major findings of the present study are as follows: (i) farmers can optimize the allocation of production factors through the farmland transfer market to maximize their profits, and (ii) the quantity of farmland transferred to the market is significantly positively correlated with the price of farmland transferred, demonstrating a power function relation. Currently, the average price of farmland transferred in China's main grain-producing areas exceeds CNY 800 per mu. There is a difference between the actual quantity of farmland transferred and the supply function estimated in this paper, indicating that the market is currently in a crucial period of vigorously promoting farmland transfer. We suggest that government departments follow the laws of farmland transfer, refer to the farmland transfer supply function, and implement policies that support and benefit grain production to provide rapid and consistent guidance to the farmland transfer market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggravation of extreme weather events has dramatically increased the risk of severe water shortages and seriously threatened agricultural production. The Huang-Huai-Hai region, an important agricultural production region in China, is subject to a severe water shortage and is often hit by drought. As a result, water-saving technologies (WSTs) have been implemented. It remains unclear how effectively these WSTs can reduce crop yield loss, crop yield variation, and the loss of net crop income caused by water scarcity. Therefore, this paper aimed to analyze the role of WSTs in response to drought by establishing a multi-objective expected utility function based on 988 farmers across the Huang-Huai-Hai region. Econometric analysis employing an endogenous switching regression model showed that using WSTs can significantly reduce crop yield loss and net income loss caused by drought. Adopting household-based WSTs or community-based water-saving technology generates even greater positive effects on crop yield and farmers' net income. Therefore, the government should promote farmers' adoption of more advanced WSTs by increasing subsidies and strengthening policy support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the microdata of 11,547 farmers from the China Labor Dynamics Survey (CLDS) database in 2017, an ordered multi-classification logistic model was constructed to empirically test the impact of social capital (i.e., social networks, social participation, and social trust) on farmers' willingness to adopt agricultural technology. The moderating effect of demographic changes (i.e., the number of instances of hukou migration) on social capital and farmers' willingness to adopt new agricultural technology was further investigated. The results show that the following: (1) Social trust has a significant positive impact on farmers' willingness to adopt new agricultural technologies, while social participation has no significant impact on farmers' willingness to adopt new technologies. (2) Social networks influence farmers' technology adoption behavior differently, e.g., the scope of relatives' wedding gifts has a significant and positive influence on farmers' technology adoption behavior, while the scope of non-relatives' wedding gifts has no significant influence on farmers' technology adoption behavior. (3) Demographic change plays a moderating role in the impact of social capital on farmers' willingness to adopt new agricultural technologies. In other words, the greater the number of instances of hukou migration, the less the promoting effect of social capital on farmers' willingness to adopt agricultural technology. (4) In the eastern and central regions of China, social capital has a significant positive impact on farmers' adoption of new agricultural technologies. In the western region of China, social capital has a significant negative impact on farmers' adoption of new agricultural technology. In the northeast region of China, social capital has no significant impact on farmers' adoption of new agricultural technologies. Social capital and population changes are important factors that affect farmers' willingness to adopt new agricultural technologies. Therefore, attention should be paid to cultivating and promoting farmers' social capital to improve farmers' willingness to adopt new agricultural technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the impact of coal energy consumption on the economic progress in Pakistan by using annual time series data during 1972–2019. Three-unit root tests were employed to rectify the variables' stationarity. The quantile regression approach with the extension of cointegration regression test was utilized to check the variables interaction with the economic progress. The outcomes of the quantile regression uncover that coal energy consumption in power sector and coal energy consumption in brick kilns have adverse influence to the economic progress, while total coal energy consumption has a productive association with the economic progress. Similarly, the findings of cointegration regression analysis uncover that via FMOLS (Fully Modified Least Squares) and DOLS (Dynamic Least Squares) that variables coal energy consumption in power sector and brick kilns have an adverse connection with the economic progress, while total coal energy consumption uncover a productive linkage to the economic progress in Pakistan. Pakistan is still facing a deep energy crisis because of the lack of energy production from cheap sources. New possible policies are required in this direction to improve the energy sector by paying more attention to the alternative energy sources to foster the economic progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization has contributed to several advances in technology including linking people around the globe and driving us to modern economies. With fast economic growth and industrialization progress, the negative impact of globalization on biodiversity can be easily ignored. Globalization is an undeniable factor in our planetary devastation from pollution to global warming and climate change. The major intention of our recent analysis was to examine the globalization, energy consumption, trade, economic growth, and fuel importation to determine the ecological footprint in Pakistan by taking the annual data variables from 1974–2017. A linear ARDL (autoregressive distributed lag) technique with limited information maximum likelihood and linear Gaussian model estimation were utilized to check the variables association. Outcomes show that in the long run, globalization, energy usage, trade, and GDP growth have consistently productive interactions with the ecological footprint, while an examination of fuel importation uncovers an adversative linkage to impacts on the ecological footprint in Pakistan. Similarly, the findings of short-run interactions also reveal that globalization, energy usage, trade, and GDP growth have constructive linkages; however, an examination of fuel importation also uncovers an adversative linkage to impacts on the ecological footprint. The outcomes of limited information maximum likelihood also expose that the variables of globalization, energy usage, trade, and fuel importation have productive linkages, while an examination the GDP growth uncovers an adversative linkage to the ecological footprint. Furthermore, the outcomes of the linear Gaussian model estimation also uncover that globalization and energy usage demonstrate a constructive linkage, while other variables reveal an adverse linkage to the ecological footprint. Environmental pollution is now an emerging issue which causes the climatic variations associated with greenhouse gases emissions. The Pakistani government must adopt new strategies to ensure that CO2 emissions are reduced in order to stimulate economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China is transferring from a centrally planned economy to a market economy, the land market becomes more active. With the rapid transition from an agricultural society to an industrialized society, both economic and social factors could influence the choice of land lease agreement. This paper investigates the choice behavior of land lease agreement based on the household data collected from the largest wheat-producing province in China, Henan province. The results provide strong evidence that economic interest plays a key role in the choice of land lease agreement. Meanwhile, the paper has also found that social relations still affect the choice of land lease agreement. To speed up the transfer of land use rights and scale of operation, this study proposes: reducing the land dependence of rural households; improving agricultural machinery and achieving farming mechanization; creating more non-farm work opportunities for rural laborers; promoting the citizenization of rural households; respecting farmers' choice of contracts; and attaching importance to the role of social relations in farmland transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In agriculture based economies like Pakistan, farmers often shift from farming to off-farm activities as part of an apparent livelihood transition strategy, despite the fact that most of the workforce depends upon farming. In this paper, we try to uncover insights into how livelihood assets, such as human capital, natural capital, economic capital, and locational characteristics, affect a household's exit decision from on-farm to off-farm activities as a livelihood transition strategy in rural Pakistan. We analyzed data from 335 farming households from the second largest agricultural producing province in the country, Sindh. Our findings show that more than 19% of households have completely shifted from farming to off-farm activities. Furthermore, we identified that the 'crop input credit' is one of the major constraints to farmers converting their previous input-driven small loans into larger loans, where large markups may be imposed if they fail to pay when the harvest is made. The empirical findings from Binary Logistic Regression provide strong evidence for family labor characteristics, particularly for working-age males, working-age females, and working-age children. Surprisingly, the cultivated land size significantly and positively influences farm exit rather than a continuation of farming. Off-farm employment, exogenous shocks, and urbanization also significantly and positively influenced the decision to transition into off-farm work. In contrast, the age of the household head, livestock ownership, and distance to a commercial zone significantly inhibited the decision to exit farming. However, government assistance, including subsidies, strongly encouraged farmers to continue farming. These findings provide new insights into the factors affecting the drivers of both exit and continuation in the farming sector as part of a long-term livelihood transition strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mixed crop–livestock system is a primary source of livelihood in developing countries. Erratic climate changes are severely affecting the livelihoods of people who depend upon mixed crop–livestock production. By employing the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change LVI (LVIIPCC), and the livelihood effect index (LEI), this study evaluated livelihood vulnerability in southern Punjab, Pakistan. The study provides a range of indicators for national and local policy makers to improve resilience in the face of livelihood vulnerability. By incorporating more major components and subcomponents, this study identifies more specific challenges of livelihood vulnerability for future policy directions. It is interesting to find that credit and cash used for crop inputs are critical financial constraints for farmers. From the estimated indicators, this study also provides some specific policy recommendations for the four study districts of Punjab Province. These results are helpful in identifying and highlighting vulnerability determinants and indicators. Initiating and promoting better adaptive capacity and starting resilience projects for households are urgent actions required by donors and governments to reduce the livelihood vulnerability of mixed crop–livestock households in arid and semiarid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have promoted environmental and social certification programs for growers because the market for green certification is seen as offering higher prices and higher incomes. Previous studies have examined how "green food" certification affects economic and environmental benefits, but none have studied its impact on production behavior. In this study we conducted a household survey of 398 randomly selected growers of traditional and green food certified kiwifruit in Xixia county of Henan province, China. The results show that characteristically, green food certified growers can have a significantly higher total cost as well as employed cost compared to the matched noncertified growers. Based on the results, we conclude the potential advantages of green food certified kiwifruit products and basic conditions for its sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]