Abstract
The Grain for Green program in China, a nationwide cropland set-aside program aimed at soil erosion prevention and poverty alleviation, was begun in 1999 and quickly expanded to 25 provinces, covering 32 million households. Its effects on participating households are well studied, but the role of ethnic characteristics is less well investigated. Given the overlap of areas covered by Grain for Green and areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, where development is a long-unresolved problem, it is important to determine how ethnic minorities react to, and benefit from, the Grain for Green program. This study investigates participation in the program by ethnic minorities and estimates its impact on their off-farm labor supply, compared with that of the ethnic majority, Han. We find that ethnic minorities were more likely to participate in the program, but enrolled similar area of land per household. However, ethnic minorities did not increase off-farm labor supply after participation in Grain for Green, while Han participants increased their off-farm labor supply significantly. These findings raise concerns that Grain for Green may have widened the income gap between Han and ethnic minorities. This study also provides important policy implications on sustainable land management for less-developed regions.
Highlights
Sustainable land management measures are used worldwide to protect land from ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss [1,2,3,4], which are largely resulted from human activities [5]
Given the overlap of the areas covered by the program, the areas below the poverty line, and the areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, this paper aims to fill this important gap in the literature, by systematically investigating how the participation in the program and the effect of the program on off-farm labor employment vary between Han and ethnic minorities
This study uses econometric models to examine the role of ethnic characteristics, along with other factors, in affecting participation in the Grain for Green program and off-farm labor
Summary
Sustainable land management measures are used worldwide to protect land from ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss [1,2,3,4], which are largely resulted from human activities [5]. Development interventions have been used to help achieve the sustainability of land through development activities, such as conservation payments to redirect labor from activities that harm ecosystems [6]. The Grain for Green program in China, a nationwide cropland set-aside program is a typical example of development interventions. In Grain for Green, farmers set aside certain types of land and grow trees or grass instead. Central government provides them with annual subsidies: in-kind grain, cash payments, and free seedlings. The aims of the program are to prevent soil erosion and reduce poverty in rural areas. To achieve this goal, the participation and sustainability, and the long-term effects of the program on household production behavior, are critical
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