Comments on this example:
Decreasing farmland seems to be a common problem throughout Asia, because farmers, especially the younger generations, are more interested in selling their inherited land, than working on it. They perceive that farming is hard work, low dignity and low pay, and would prefer doing industrial jobs instead.
Unfortunately, with the Asian economic crisis, many jobs have been lost due to factory shut down or staff downsizes. These industrial workers, whom were formerly farmers, are left with no job alternatives since their farmlands have already been sold.
If farming jobs had been made more attractive, for example, providing higher return, the problem of decreasing farmland and unemployment wouldn't have been this severe.
|
Sustainability of the project:
|
Awareness and visions: Land tenure issues have contributed to low productivity in most instances. Rather than leave the land to seek other employment, fragmentation of farmland takes place as a result of population pressure, which again results on low productivity and low incomes.
Another issue faced is the expansion of agriculture land by taking over forest land. This trend has resulted in severe deforestation, with considerable environmental problems. Hence, the focus presently is on intensive farming practices.
Sustainable over time (not one-off): Strengthening the capacity of local governments to manage and protect farmlands under their jurisdiction is considerably a sustainable method and could be carried out in the long run as long as the process is transparent and each farmer is treated equally.
|
Adaptability of the project to other situations:
|
Decreasing farmland appears to be a problem in every agriculture-based country because of similar reasons, unsustainable farming practices, urbanization and decrease in per capita farmland. Therefore, China's methods to protect and manage farmland is applicable to other countries as well, regardless of level of development, government style, geographical characteristics, and etc.
However, the degree of decentralization might be different in each country. Chinas central government has entrusted local governments to manage their own farmlands, in which is the way this example works. Therefore, in terms of adaptability, other countries should have a degree of decentralization as well in order to be able to apply this method.
| Process of decision making and implementation: |
|
