A cooperative Peru: Is centralisation of cooperatives better for local development?

Research shows that some agricultural cooperatives implement development projects in their local communities. What remains to be explained is why certain cooperatives pursue local development while others do not. Through a comparison of coffee cooperatives in two regions of Peru, this study examines the implications of a regional cooperative for local development. The creation of a regional cooperative leads to a concentration of resources and a decrease in the need and ability of local cooperatives to pursue independent development projects. At the same time, it allows for more equal access to those resources and to the benefits of cooperative-led development projects.     

Commercial behaviours of smallholder farmers in wheat seed use and its implication for demand assessment in Ethiopia

The article presents the commercial behaviour and its determinants of smallholder farmers in wheat seed use, and its implication for seed demand assessment, based on primary data from 524 wheat farmers in the major wheat growing areas covering 22 woredas in 11 zones in the Amhara, Oromiya, SNNP, and Tigray regions of Ethiopia. Although 69% of farmers use improved varieties, the overwhelming majority use seed from informal sources: own saved seed (52%) or purchased seed from local sources (32%). The article documents the distribution of wheat growers into different wheat seed market positions (autarkic, buying, or selling), and identifies the key determinants of these market behaviours. The results can serve as a guide in assessing the wheat seed demand from the formal sector at a national level.     

Understanding food policy change in Ghana

Evidence-based policy-making has become a critical aspect of development strategy in developing countries. Yet the assumption that policymakers will automatically use available evidence may not be valid in all contexts. To influence positive policy change requires an understanding of the unique policy process and drivers of policy change in the context of a particular country and sector. Strengthening the capacity of key agricultural policy stakeholders can facilitate evidence-informed policy-making. This article documents an approach to strengthening the capacity of parliamentarians in Ghana. It attempts to measure to what extent such investments could lead to informed policy-making to promote poverty reduction. Lessons are drawn from a group of Ghanaian parliamentarians following an exposure and learning visit to India.     

Food sovereignty and agro-ecology in Karnataka: interplay of discourses,identities, and practices

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), a farmers’ movement, and a member of La Via Campesina, has been encouraging zero-budget natural farming in Karnataka, India, within the framework of food sovereignty and agro-ecology. Using the experiences of KRRS, this article addresses the question of the extent of pluralism within the discourse of food sovereignty. Focusing on the interplay of local and global practices, discourses and identities, the article throws light upon contradictions and negotiations between “necessary abstractions” and “particularisms”, spaces and places of resistance and implications it may have on struggles at both local and global levels.     

论农民的隐性负担

农民负担已成为社会关注的焦点,它的存在极大地制约了农业、农村、农民的发展。本文就农民负担中隐性负担的概念、表现形式及消除对策进行了初步的探讨。     

俄罗斯农业改革绩效的宏观分析

后冷战时期的俄罗斯农业发展呈现出大起大落的态势。20世纪90年代的农业产权改革不仅未能迅速解决俄罗斯农业的效率问题,反而导致了叶利钦时代的农业危机。1999—2001年,俄农业触底反弹出现高速增长。2002-2007年俄农业维持低速增长。2008年再次大幅增长。从宏观政策的视角看,俄农业经济转型绩效的波动性主要与国家直接投入、农产品贸易条件、贷款条件、税收和汇率制度等因素有关。俄农业未来发展亟待解决的迫切问题在于改进除产量以外的其他农业发展潜力指标。     

The challenges of measuring food security and sovereignty in the Yucatán Peninsula

In a study of food security and sovereignty (FSS) in 22 indigenous Mayan communities in Yucatán State, Mexico, a participatory action research (PAR) methodology was combined with an analytical framework comprised of 10 FSS indicators to measure food security in the study area and identify strengths and weaknesses of the analytical framework. While some of the FSS indicators were approaching satisfactory, the majority were only partially satisfied, and food self-sufficiency was for the most part unsatisfactory. It was also found that food security indicators are relatively easier to measure, while sovereignty indicators present challenges in terms of defining progress.     

中国企业家犯罪的文化进路———历史性抑商情结的现实展开简

受贿罪在国有企业家中位居首位，依次是贪污罪和挪用公款罪，而触犯非法吸收公众存款罪和非法集资罪的全部是民营企业家，滋生出来的“官本位”是最重要的价值取向。这种现状与传统的抑商情结有密切的联系，具有历史的巧合与现实的必然。抑商是为统治秩序和权力服务的，抑商情结可以解释当前中国社会价值紊乱的历史原因，国企民企的多种犯罪的实质是与制度性缺陷有密切的联系。     

推进改革再创优势

我国农村改革到了今天，既须攻坚克难，又须据情多元推进，从土地制度、经营组织、流通模式、企业化经营、农村节本和财政投资整合等六个方面推进改革，以期再创农业发展新优势。     

农村合作社是解决“三农”问题的制度创新

农村合作社是对家庭承包经营体制的创新,它为提高农民组织化程度、解决"三农"问题,开辟了一条现实有效的途径和形式。