Preliminary Study on Effects of the Model of Community-supported Agriculture(CSA)on Urban-rural Income Gap in China

Yaqin PENG，Lijia HU

School of Economic and Management in Southwest Forestry University,Kunming 650224,China

Responsible editor:Xiaoxue WANG Responsible proofreader:Xiaoyan WU

Status quo of urban and Rural Income Gaps in China

Recently,residential incomes are increasing of urban and rural areas,among regions and industries,of which urban and rural income gaps account for 50%.Hence,the income gap of urban and rural residents has become a prominent problem affecting social coordinated development.China is a country dominated by rural population and the increasing gap of urban rural incomes has become a bottleneck preventing social and economic development.Hence,to reduce urban and rural gap lays foundation for constructing harmonious society.Agriculture is a basis of national economy,especially for China with a large population.Hence,to reduce urban and rural income gap and promote coordinated development of rural and urban areas has become a highlight for China,which would reinforce the foundation position of agriculture.

Because of low income in rural areas,more and more farmers choose to come to cities for work.Consequently,lots of farmlands are left uncultivated.As increasing pressure from population,agriculture has been incorporated into industry system,followed by wide application of pesticide,chemical fertilizer,and plant growth regulator.Consequently,soil structure becomes irrational and farmland pollution is deteriorating,resulting in destruction on rural eco-environment.Agricultural technology generally makes use of highly-intensive production mode and overemphasizes yield,ignoring negative effects on ecoenvironment and destroying nature,so that agricultural sustainable development and food security are challenged[1-3].Atpresent,food security has drawn much more attention for safe food is few with lots of yield.Meanwhile,globalization of agricultural product trade poses threats to farming household economy[4-5].During the process,consumers have increasingly high demands on food safety and want to purchase safe food in multiple ways,but crop safety is under influence of many factors,such as low demands of agricultural products,low fungibility,diversified operation risks and uncertainty.Therefore,it is urgent to establish a green channel for rural and urban food in order to advance coordinated development of urban and rural areas.Hence,community-support agriculture (CSA)is emerging,characterized by producer and consumer’s complementation in China,and becomes much more popular due to the concept of environment-friendliness.

Development of CSA in China

ACSA can provide healthy,safe and environment-friendly food,fresh and grown locally[10].Literally speaking,a community refers to a social unit living in the same area,sharing common values and benefits.Furthermore,the agriculture supported by community should be characterized by healthy,safe and environment-friendly production process.After all,CSA farm insists on sustainable farming model and supports ecological diet,forbidding the application of chemical fertilizer,pesticide,herbicide or ripener.It connects food producers directly with consumers,without middle chains.On basis of mutual trust,farmers gain more benefits and consumers get organic agricultural products,which meets consumers’ demands on food and protect farms,suggesting that CSA plays a key role in society,economy,landscape and ecology[11].

Currently,construction of resource-saving and environmentfriendly agriculture is much difficult,but CSA makes it possible.Nevertheless,CSA develops just in an initial stage in China[6].In 2006,He et al.signed an agreement of purchasing rice and contracting farmlands with farmers in Nanma Village,Lankao County,and established urban and rural mutual-aid cooperatives to provide a platform for interplay between rural and urban areas and supply green food for citizens.In 2009,little donkey farm of Production and Research Institute of Renmin University introduced CSA for production,which was of significance nationwide.In 2010,about 50 CSA farms are widely distributed in China.Shi et al.[10]integrated American CSA with concrete practices of China and explored the correlation of CSA development with middle-income groups according to the operation of little donkey farm.Chen et al.[6]analyzed characteristics,participation motivation,satisfaction,interplay and willingness of contract extension by surveying.

Effects of CSA on Income gap between Urban and Rural Areas

It is notable that CSA plays a key role in the following aspects in advancing production of organic food and healthy lifestyle.

To increase local farmers’ incomes and promote local economy

By implementation of CSA,food production and circulation go through the process of localization,so that most capitals are maintained for local economy and farmers would obtain guarantees.CSA is a model for direct connection between consumers and farmers.Specifically,with CSA,the fresh agricultural products would be directly purchased by local purchasers,and agricultural products would be in a stable market,which is a guarantee for farmers.Meanwhile,the issue of overstock can be avoided,reducing farmers’loss.

For CSA,crops are never applied with pesticides or chemical fertilizers,integrating scientific concept with traditional agriculture and reducing investment to the aspects.Hence,the damages of pollutants on farmers can be lowered,decreasing medical costs of farmers.What’s more,CSA reduces the pressure of agricultural production system on resource and environment,improving rural eco-environment.Therefore,it is a guarantee for farmers’ incomes by decreasing farmer’s expenditure,which constitutes a new way for transferring rural and agricultural development.

To achieve eco-tourism village by CSA by urban and rural interplay

By CSA,with maintained farmlands and established eco-farm,entertainment agriculture can be developed locally.On one hand,local farmers are engaging in growing vegetables and fruits,making full use of local natural advantages and special natural landscapes.On the other hand,an active ecological view would suitable for construction of integration of urban and rural landscape.CSA farms would enhance the consciousness of respecting,abiding by and protecting nature and promote ecological lifestyle by using direct connection with consumers and carrying out experiencing activities in agricultural festivals.For example,hometown farm,a CSA farms in Fuzhou,holds a series of courses on deep tillage according to calendaricity,with enjoying nature workshop.Such activities by organizing or self-service planting or picking allow tourists to experience delight in the field and exchange opinions,which is conductive for advocating and practicing the concept of developing ecoagriculture,supporting healthy consumption and promoting urban and rural mutual help,for creating an integration of production and consumption in local areas,and for organizing the activities of eating locally on that very season.It can be concluded that CSA farms well integrates ecology,production and economy of suburbs at promoting local leisure agriculture.Different with production modes and marketing methods of most agricultural products,CSA would effectively support poor farmers and improve ancillary revenue of farmers,reducing residential incomes between rural and urban areas.

In addition,to maintain farmlands is necessary for urban development,and CSA is beneficial for farmland cultivation and maintenance by farmer themselves,supplemented by construction and security administration,to promote urbanization.The most important is that urban and rural residents would share economic and environmental benefits,with a win-win effect.

To construct the chain of producer and consumer to resolve problems of small farms

To develop ecological village has a high demand on agricultural S&T and management.Therefore,it is necessary to change scattered household contract management.With a small scale,farmers repeat in purchasing agricultural facilities and tools,which increases input production capitals.What’s worse,it would be hard for individual farmers to get market information,resulting in blind production and operation.In contrast,CSA provide a communication channel between consumers and producers.Furthermore,consumers trust farmers and are willing to share possible risks with farmers in terms of planting in following years,providing guarantees for farmers with sustainable planting model.In general,CSA organizes individual farmers on basis of willingness and family operation to promote local agricultural commercialization and modernization,improve agricultural activity and enhance farmer’s incomes and operation.

Middle-income groups being the majority of consumers of CSA farmers,providing guarantees for farmer’s incomes

Globally,it is middle-income group that dominates in social activities,such as environment protection and non-governmental organizations are booming with rising of middle-income group.In China,for example,middle-income groups play an increasing important role in social development.On the other hand,the demand of middle-income group on agriculture is dominated by eco-environment protection and natural health,providing opportunity for integration of agriculture and tertiary industry and integrating with mutil-function of agriculture[10].In addition to that,middle-income groups have stronger idea on green consumption,promoting environment protection.Among CAS programs,non-governmental organizations plays an indisputable role in providing technology support,information,and help for farmers.

Expectation and Countermeasures

It is notable that the emergence of CSA is that quality of agricultural products has affected people’s life,rather than the insatisfaction of crop quantity.Based on national condition,it is necessary to develop sustainable agriculture to guarantee crop safety and selfsufficiency of crops.Furthermore,it is urgent to reduce urban and rural income gap.Hence,community mutualaid agriculture is a good choice.

To improve agricultural production of small farming household in China

Agricultural micro-economy is a scattering small-scale peasant economy.Currently,urbanization in China develops prosperously and lots of farmers swarm into cities for work,because the income is generally higher compared with farming.Hence,the cost of labor force grows considerably and farmers increasingly rely on chemical fertilizer,pesticide,and herbicide,with high doses.In a short term,such practice saves both of labor and time.For a long term,however,problems would emerge,such as soil hardening,destruction on eco-environment,and decline of yield,which requries more capital investment,leading to a vicious circle.Such practice,obviously,is contrary to sustainable agriculture,and prevents farmer’s incomes from increasing.Therefore,the combination of natural agriculture and CSA would be optimal,which integrates modern science theory and natural materials,obtaining higher benefits with low costs.

To conduct CSA with consideration of rural economy and traditional countryside ideology

CSA would not only provide employment opportunity for local farmers,but also guarantee stable earning,so that farmers are willing to engage in farming and urban citizens would experience harmonious environment,advancing rural eco-tourism and improving urban and rural interplay to reduce income gaps.

To well prepare guidance in early stage and promote urban and rural interplay

It becomes important to teach practical knowledge for farmers and allow local farmers participate in agricultural production in order to coordinate the relationship between farms and farmers.The education work for farmers would improve wellbeing of farmers at working,which is beneficial for constructing a harmonious village.Hence,urban consumers,a virtuous circle can be shaped among non-governmental organizations and farmer team,with mutual benefits.It can be concluded that CSA is a kind of “fresh blood”for construction of new socialist countryside.

To promote mutual aid concept among communities with supports from colleges and universities

The operation and management of CSA farms involves planting management,which is accomplished by farmers and interns of CSA farm as per farming season,and service management which is undertaken by administrative staffs,interns and volunteers.The work includes extending marketing and circulation channels,distribution,preparing bulletins,and communication with consumers.However,due to education system,social environment,and cultural concept,volunteer activity and commonweal organization are ready for further development.Specifically,CSA farms could hold ecological salon regularly and well prepare rural community work of Guanyuan Community.For example,CSA farms could provide supports for undergraduates in terms of voluntary teaching among farmers and the employment of interns of CSA farms can be connected with colleges or universities by crediting or economic subsidy.In addition,government or all sectors of society should give support or make positive assessment on young volunteers to promote rural regurgitation-feeding and well construct rural communities with healthy and safe concepts and actions.

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