Rural Economic Development Research Articles

Exploring the Potential of Agritourism: A Gateway to Sustainable Development in Kumaun Region of Indian Central Himalayas

Agritourism, a fusion of agriculture and tourism, is a new ray of hope for the sustainable development of rural regions livelihoods, economies, and other related sectors. This concept combines both aspects, with the potential to provide economic benefits to rural livelihoods and enrich the experience for tourists who visit the place. Agritourism has potential as a catalyst for sustainable development in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand state, which is the eastern part of the state, boasts rich scenic natural beauties, cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and all above organic and traditional agricultural practices. The paper explores existing agritourism initiatives in the Kumaun region, ranging from farm stays to culinary experiences. and analyzes the economic benefits, challenges, and prospects of agritourism. This abstract underscore the transformative power of agritourism in encouraging sustainable development in rural areas of the Kumaun region while preserving cultural heritage, promoting environmental conservation, and enhancing socio- economic well-being. Keywords: agritourism, agriculture, Kumaun, economic development.

The Role of Environmental Design in Rural Revitalization

This paper provides an in-depth study on the overview of environmental design, the application of environmental design in rural revitalization, the challenges and countermeasures of environmental design in rural revitalization, and case studies. Firstly, this paper gives an overview of environmental design, clarifies the definition, classification and characteristics of environmental design, and introduces the development trend of environmental design. Secondly, this paper discusses the application of environmental design in rural revitalization, including the improvement of rural environment, the promotion of rural economic development, and the inheritance and innovation of rural society and culture. Then, this paper analyzes the challenges faced by environmental design in rural revitalization, such as the limited nature of rural resources, the low participation of rural residents as well as the lack of policy support and professional talents for rural environmental design, and puts forward corresponding countermeasures.

Research on Employment Discrimination Against Suburban Rural Youth in the Process of Urbanization: A Case Study of Hebei Province

With the acceleration of urbanization, the employment issues of suburban rural youth have become increasingly prominent. This study, using Hebei Province as an example, explores the discrimination faced by suburban rural youth in the employment process within the urbanization context through a questionnaire survey and empirical analysis. The study finds that suburban rural youth generally face discrimination in terms of education, household registration, and social relations during their job search, which not only affects their employment quality but also hinders rural economic development. The study further analyzes the main factors contributing to employment discrimination and proposes countermeasures at the levels of government, enterprises, social organizations, and the rural youth themselves, aiming to provide theoretical references for policymakers and related organizations.

Digital Literacy and the Livelihood Resilience of Livestock Farmers: Empirical Evidence from the Old Revolutionary Base Areas in Northwest China

Enhancing the livelihood resilience of livestock farmers in the old revolutionary base areas helps them to cope with the increasingly complex external risk shocks of recent years and promotes the sustainable development of regional agriculture. This study is based on survey data from 1047 livestock farmers in the Ningxia and Gansu provinces of the northwest old revolutionary base area. It incorporates the characteristics of livestock farmers and the elements of psychological capital into the sustainable livelihood analysis framework to construct a livelihood resilience index system. After measuring livelihood resilience, this paper uses a general linear regression model and a probit model to explore the impact and mechanism of digital literacy on the livelihood resilience of livestock farmers. The results show the following: (1) digital literacy has a significant positive effect on the livelihood resilience of livestock farmers, and the impact of different dimensions of digital literacy on different dimensions of livelihood resilience also varies. Additionally, this effect also shows the heterogeneity in different village clustering forms and different income groups. In areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and among moderate-income groups, the role of digital literacy on the livelihood resilience of livestock farmers is more significant. (2) The improvement of digital literacy has a significant positive impact on livelihood resilience through three different pathways: the “differential mode of association”, learning channels, and types of income. (3) Digital literacy has led to the psychological aspects of rural hollowing-out problems among livestock farmers, which is particularly evident in families with only one type of caregiving burden (either only left-behind elderly people or only left-behind children). This problem is more evident. Therefore, this paper poses that the advancement of agricultural and rural economic development in China should not only focus on the cultivation of farmers’ digital literacy but also accelerate the construction of digital infrastructure to ensure the long-term effective mechanism of improving digital literacy. At the same time, in the process of promoting digital rural areas, attention should be paid to the psychological isolation issues that the network era brings to farmers.

Study on High-quality Development Strategy of Rural Economy Under the Strategy of Agriculture, Rural Areas and Farmers

With the in-depth implementation of the "three rural" strategy, the high-quality development of rural economy has become an important goal to achieve rural revitalization. This paper starts with the current situation of rural economic development, analyzes the main challenges facing rural economy, including infrastructure construction lag, unreasonable industrial structure and brain drain and innovation ability. On this basis, the core strategy of high-quality development of rural economy is put forward from three aspects: industrial revitalization, ecological revitalization and talent revitalization. By optimizing the industrial structure and promoting the integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, the agricultural production efficiency is improved; Emphasizing green agriculture and environmental governance to promote sustainable development; Attention should be paid to attracting high-quality talents and improving rural education and training systems to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas. Through comprehensive measures, we will strive to provide systematic support for the high-quality development of the rural economy and help the smooth implementation of the rural revitalization strategy.

Analysis of the Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on the Well-being of Rural Residents

Improving the sense of well-being, gain, and security among rural residents has become one of the important tasks for promoting high-quality rural economic development and achieving rural revitalization. This paper, based on data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) from 2015 to 2019, constructs an Ordered Probit model to study and analyze the impact and mechanism of digital inclusive finance on the well-being of rural residents. The results indicate that digital inclusive finance can enhance the well-being of rural residents, and the indices of coverage breadth, usage depth, and digitalization all have significant positive effects on the well-being of rural residents. In terms of the mechanism, digital inclusive finance improves the income of rural residents, promotes entrepreneurship among them, and enhances their financial literacy, thereby increasing their well-being. At the same time, digital inclusive finance has a greater impact on the well-being of samples from rural areas in the central and eastern regions, as well as among rural women and middle-aged and elderly groups.

Rural Economic Development Strategy through Village Tourism Development with the Exploitation of Local Potential (Empirical Study in Kebon Ayu Village, West Lombok)

This study aims to examine and analyze the appropriate strategies developed by stakeholders in building and developing rural tourism areas, especially Kebon Ayu Village as one of the mainstay tourist villages in West Lombok. The development of rural areas is important to create community welfare as well as to play the role of residents to take responsibility for maintaining the preservation of the surrounding natural environment. The research approach used is a qualitative descriptive approach based on field observation with the support of secondary data. The collected data is then analyzed using a SWOT analysis approach by systematically identifying various internal and external factors to formulate the desired development strategy. The logic built is how to maximize strengths and opportunities but at the same time minimize weaknesses and threats. The results of the study show that the tourist attraction of Kebon Ayu Village has enough potential to be developed because of the support of the beautiful rural nature and the surrounding hills that surround it. It has a natural rural atmosphere, supporting agro-tourism and culinary tourism potential, with an attractive green expanse of hills, a strategic position as a buffer for the district capital (Gerung) and its safe and comfortable environment. But on the other hand, several things need to be improved, such as the arrangement of the residential environment, waste handling, and concern for tourist facilities such as garbage cans, ATMs, toilets, mini markets, prayer rooms, and others. Supporting facilities and infrastructure need to receive attention so that they are more organized, such as the construction of environmental roads, street lighting, waterways, folk craft coaching, water game spots, outbound, and camping grounds. If all of these things can be overcome properly, then the Kebon Ayu Village tourist attraction will have its own attraction and become a mainstay tourist destination that can compete with other village tourist attractions.

Based on the Rural Homestay Landscape Design Strategy Under the Rural Revitalization Strategy

In the context of rural revitalization strategy, as an important part of rural tourism, its landscape design is of great significance for improving the rural image and promoting the development of rural economy. This paper aims to explore the landscape design strategy of rural homestay based on the rural revitalization strategy, by analyzing the existing problems in the current rural homestay landscape design, and put forward the corresponding optimization strategy, in order to realize the sustainable development of rural homestay landscape and the prosperity of rural economy.

Nutrient content and ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry metabolomic comparative analysis of Lithocarpus corneus and Lithocarpus pachylepis.

China possesses abundant species resources in genus Lithocarpus Blume, commonly known as "acorns." These nuts are traditional foods in China, holding significant potential for local specialty food and rural economic development. To explore their edible value, we compared the nutritional components and metabolites between the fruits of Lithocarpus corneus (YD) and Lithocarpus pachylepis (HL), which are cultivated widely in south of China. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis of YD and HL was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry technology. A total of eight classes of differential metabolites (DAMs) were detected: alkaloids, amino acids and peptides, carbohydrates, fatty acids, polyketides, shikimates and phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, and other metabolites. In the positive ion mode, 225 DAMs were identified, whereas in the negative ion mode, 116 DAMs were identified. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differentially abundant metabolites were generally enriched in three pathways: aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and ABC transporters. The nutritional content of YD has higher moisture, fructose, and total flavonoid levels, but lower starch, protein, fat, glucose, sucrose, and total sugar content than HL. Additionally, YD contains more Ca, K, P, and Fe, but less Mg and Zn compared to HL. Analyses indicate that YD is nutrient-rich and beneficial, making it suitable for further development. Two species of Lithocarpus contain nandrolone, suggesting a new direction for specialty food development. The unique chemical composition and rich nutritional content of Lithocarpus fruits provide a theoretical basis for their development and application as food resources. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: L. corneus and L. pachylepis are traditional Chinese nuts, rich in starch, minerals, and flavonoids, making them suitable for consumption or use as food constituents. Their fruits contain various unique natural chemical compounds, indicating high application value and development potential.

Design and Application of Exclusive Service App for Rural Elderly

With the further advancement of rural development and the rapid development of mobile Internet, rural service apps have gradually become an important means of promoting rural economic development and improving farmers’ production and living standards. At present, a number of service-type apps with wide applications in the field of rural services have emerged, such as “Planting Master”, “Farming Network”, “Rural Taobao”, etc. However, these apps do not pay special attention to special groups, but only target the majority of young people and office workers. However, these apps do not pay special attention to special groups, but only target the majority of young people and office workers. In order to fill this gap, we have designed a software called Nong’e Tong, which is specially designed for the elderly and other special groups. The software has a simple and beautiful interface, and is easy to use. It not only provides a lot of special functions, but also can link the elderly’s cell phone with their children’s cell phones to check the health and safety of the elderly at any time. Compared to other software, the application has special features for seniors to ensure that they can use the application easily and quickly.

Empowering Women's Business Groups through Microfinance in Village Enterprises

Background: Effective management of microfinance institutions is essential for rural economic development. Specific Background: This study examines BUMDesa Bersama “Gempol Sejahtera,” focusing on its application of microfinance principles in financial management. Knowledge Gap: There is limited research on how structured bureaucracies affect the success of microfinance programs in community organizations. Aims: The research evaluates the impact of organizational structure on microfinance initiatives and resource management. Results: Findings show that a clear bureaucratic structure enhances efficiency and role clarity, facilitating successful program implementation. Clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and task fragmentation are critical for optimal execution. Novelty: This study offers new insights into the link between organizational structure and microfinance effectiveness in community enterprises, enriching the literature on rural empowerment. Implications: The results underscore the importance of strong organizational frameworks to improve resource management and program responsiveness, thereby promoting economic empowerment, especially among women. Highlights : Organizational Efficiency: A clear bureaucratic structure enhances operational effectiveness and role clarity. Critical Procedures: Implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is essential for program success. Economic Empowerment: Strong frameworks promote responsiveness and resource management, benefiting community initiatives. Keywords: microfinance, organizational structure, community empowerment, financial management, bureaucratic efficiency

How do capable village cadres influence the effectiveness of rural living environment improvement? Empirical evidence from China

Rural Living Environment Improvement (RLEI) is crucial for constructing an ecological civilization and revitalizing rural areas. This study conducts an empirical analysis of the influence of capable village cadres on RLEI effectiveness, using microeconomic data from 173 villages across seven Chinese provinces between 2012 and 2019. The findings reveal a progressive enhancement in the RLEI among the surveyed villages over this timeframe. However, disparities persist in meeting farmers’ aspirations for an improved quality of life. Notably, village secretaries with business experience significantly contributed to advancements in domestic waste and sewage treatment (WST) and sanitary toilet coverage (STC). The robustness of these conclusions is upheld after adjusting the regression model and reassessing the sample data. Furthermore, capable village cadres can conveniently access government project support and promote the development of rural collective economy, thereby improving the RLEI. Comprehensive measures and substantial guarantees should be implemented to incentivize individuals with both integrity and competence to assume roles as village cadres. The monitoring system should be modernized, paving the way for a new paradigm of “strong state and strong society” in RLEI.

Research on the Optimization Paths for Outstanding Agricultural Economics and Management Talents under the Background of Curriculum Ideology and Politics

The article aims to discuss how to cultivate outstanding agricultural economics and management talents to meet the needs of agricultural and rural economic development in the new era, within the context of ideological and political education. Through literature review and field research, a series of innovative talent training optimization paths are proposed, and specific suggestions are made for policymakers and educational practitioners.

THE ROLE OF REGIONAL RURAL BANKS (RRBs) IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PRATHMA BANK, UTTAR PRADESH

Rural development is a cornerstone of India's socio-economic progress, as a significant portion of the population resides in rural areas where agriculture and small enterprises drive the economy. Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), established to bridge the credit gap in these regions, play a crucial role in promoting financial inclusion, enhancing agricultural productivity, and fostering sustainable rural development. This paper examines the multifaceted contributions of RRBs, with a specific focus on Prathma Bank in Uttar Pradesh, which has emerged as a vital institution in the rural banking landscape. The research highlights how Prathma Bank has effectively catered to the financial needs of marginalized farmers, women entrepreneurs, and small business owners through innovative lending products and microfinance initiatives. By promoting self-help groups (SHGs) and providing access to essential financial services, Prathma Bank has empowered rural communities, improved livelihoods, and stimulated local economies. Furthermore, this study analyzes the challenges faced by Prathma Bank, including high levels of non-performing assets (NPAs), limited technological infrastructure, and the need for enhanced financial literacy among rural populations. It underscores the importance of leveraging technology and expanding outreach to ensure sustainable development in rural areas. The findings suggest that while Prathma Bank has made significant strides in promoting rural development, strategic interventions and policy reforms are necessary to address operational challenges and maximize its impact. Recommendations include strengthening risk management frameworks, expanding product offerings, enhancing governance, and fostering public-private partnerships. This paper concludes that RRBs like Prathma Bank are not only pivotal in facilitating access to credit but also play an essential role in the holistic development of rural economies, making them indispensable to India's growth narrative

The Toilet Revolution Empowers Rural Revitalization based on a Health Perspective

Since the reform and opening up, with the rapid development of the Chinese economy, public health problems have become increasingly serious. At the same time, due to the reality of imbalanced urban-rural development in China, improving the living environment in rural areas is the key and difficult point to achieve rural revitalization. Therefore, in 2015, the Chinese government officially began the "Toilet Revolution", a national public health movement aimed at improving urban and rural public health problems, enhancing people's quality of life, promoting rural economic development, and further promoting the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. Based on a health perspective, this article analyzes the impact of the "toilet revolution" on rural health human capital by reviewing existing data and literature such as the "China Statistical Yearbook" on the level of health service expenditure and the number of sanitary toilet constructions. It further elucidates the mechanism by which the "toilet revolution" empowers rural revitalization, providing a theoretical basis for the government to deepen the "toilet revolution", narrow the urban-rural gap, and promote rural revitalization.

Research on the path of industrial revitalization to promote rural revitalization

Industrial revitalization is the premise, foundation and key to achieving the rural revitalization strategy. Industrial revitalization is the primary task and central issue of the rural revitalization strategy. The Chinese medicinal materials industry covers the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, with a long industrial chain, high added value and strong driving force, and plays an important role in promoting rural economic and social development. Bozhou City is rich in Chinese medicinal resources, has a good foundation for the Chinese medicinal materials industry and distinctive characteristics. It is a dominant and characteristic industry and a people-enriching industry in Bozhou City and even Anhui Province. This paper investigates the development status of the rural Chinese medicinal materials industry in three counties and one district in Bozhou City, analyzes the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and challenges of the Chinese medicinal materials industry in Bozhou City in promoting rural industrial revitalization. On this basis, a systematic and specific implementation path and guarantee system for the Chinese medicinal materials industry in Bozhou City to help rural industrial revitalization are designed, including top-level design, improving infrastructure construction, cultivating modern business organizations, integrating the development of Chinese medicinal materials industry, and strengthening the construction of various industrial chains of rural Chinese medicinal materials production, processing, warehousing and logistics, and brand marketing, etc., and building a guarantee system in four aspects: organizational coordination, financial support, talent training, and scientific and technological support.

Research on the Impact of Rural Tourism on Farmer’s Sustainable Livelihood and Coordinated Development (Case Study Jiwodu Village in Yangshuo, Guangxi)

Rural tourism is considered a viable strategy for achieving sustainable rural economic development and poverty reduction, offering significant economic, social, cultural, and ecological benefits. However, as an external force, rural tourism disrupts the livelihood capital and strategies of farmers, significantly influencing their sustainable livelihoods. This paper uses the sustainable livelihood analysis framework from a micro perspective to assess rural tourism's impact on farmers' livelihoods, particularly in Jiwodu Village, Guangxi, China. By categorizing farmers based on the proportion of rural tourism income in their total household income—Tourism-related, Tourism-dominated, and Tourism-exclusive livelihoods—the study constructs a farmer livelihood capital scale, employs a participatory assessment method, and compares changes in the five major livelihood capitals before and after rural tourism development, exploring farmers' perceptions of its impact.

Designing a model for developing local business for rural women Iran with a sustainable development approach

This study endeavors to formulate a sustainable development-oriented model for home-based businesses catering to rural women in Guilan province. Employing a qualitative-quantitative research approach, the study is practical in its objectives and relies on survey methods for data collection. The research population encompasses two main groups: the first group involves academic professionals, scholars, and managers or experts from provincial organizations dedicated to employment and women’s issues, while the second group comprises 274 purposefully sampled individuals, including owners, managers, and women affiliated with micro-credit funds in Guilan province, selected through the snowball technique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data, and the Smart-PLS software package utilized the partial least squares (PLS) technique for advanced multivariate analysis in structural equation modeling. Evaluation of the home-based business development model for rural women, based on the coefficients of the direct path, reveals that educational (β = 0.112), social (β = 0.232), economic (β = 0.274), and policymaking (β = 0.381) variables significantly influence the sustainable development of home-based businesses (P < 0.05). Notably, the policymaking variable exerts the most substantial impact. Furthermore, the model designed for sustainable development can account for 71 percent of the variance in the dependent variable. It is recommended that the government should allocate financial resources specifically for rural women house-based businesses and policies should prioritize and actively support home-based businesses, recognizing their significant impact on rural women's economic development.

The Role of Coffee Trade in Shaping Ethiopia’s Economic Development from the 1960s to Present

This study examines the role of coffee trade in shaping Ethiopia’s economic development from the 1960s to the present. It explores the evolution of Ethiopia’s coffee industry through key policy transformations, market liberalization, and economic reforms, highlighting their impact on national export revenues, foreign exchange reserves, employment creation, and rural economic development. The analysis addresses the challenges faced by Ethiopia’s coffee sector, including climate change, market volatility, and global competition, while also identifying opportunities for growth through sustainability practices, certification, and market diversification. Finally, the study outlines strategic pathways for future development, focusing on enhancing productivity, building resilient supply chains, and aligning coffee trade strategies with broader national development goals.

Research on the Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Rural Economic Development

Digital technology significantly enhances the efficiency, user experience, coverage, and accessibility of financial services. It effectively addresses the issue of imbalanced and inadequate financial services, provides strong support for the advancement of inclusive finance, and facilitates high-quality development of the real economy. Currently, rural rejuvenation and digital inclusive finance are two prominent topics in China. The objective of this article is to identify and address issues by examining the correlation between digital inclusive finance credit and the rural economy. This paper employs a fixed effects model to examine the correlation between digital inclusive financial credit business and the additional value generated by the primary industry. The results indicate a strong negative association between the digital inclusive financial lending business and the added value of the primary industry. The government should prioritize the simultaneous progress of digitalization and finance in rural areas in order to establish a more comprehensive rural economic and financial system.