Rural Socio-economic Development Research Articles

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Transformation Regulation Strategies of Rural Residential Land on the Grand Canal (China)

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Transformation Regulation Strategies of Rural Residential Land on the Grand Canal (China)

МОДЕЛІ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНОГО РОЗВИТКУ АГРОПРОДОВОЛЬЧОЇ СФЕРИ В УМОВАХ АКТИВІЗАЦІЇ ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО МЕНЕДЖМЕНТУ

State regulation of the processes of social and economic development functions first of all as an ordered system, therefore it is appropriate to consider the process of regulation of processes in the agro-food sector from the point of view of a systemic approach. In turn, the components of the specified system are the goals, tasks, principles, functions of state regulation, as well as subjects that use methods and tools to influence objects, taking into account external and internal factors and aiming at the appropriate result, namely : development of the national economy, positive movement of capital, increasing the sustainability of socio-economic development and growth of the welfare of the country's population. To ensure the socio-economic development of the agri-food sector of Ukraine, and to ensure the effective functioning of economic entities in this sphere, it is necessary to ensure the transition to the investment and innovation model of development. This model should contribute to the formation of a new effective structure of the agro-food sector, ensure its accelerated growth, strengthening of positions on international markets due to increased competitiveness and increasing the export of products that have a higher added value.Innovative activities and projects that ensure social transformations in agriculture should remain the priority areas of investment in the agri-food sector of Ukraine. Along with the modernization of the agro-food sector on an innovative basis, inclusive rural development must be ensured - both as a result and in parallel as a tool of rural socio-economic development, the main task of which is to improve the quality of life, in the process of which economic, social and political rights are realized , it is important to use the advantages of the local environment, which can support the development of the existing potential. The implementation of the process in this capacity ensures the growth of economic opportunities and allows to raise the standard of living in rural areas within the limits of all social groups, especially in relation to women, youth, small farmers, ethnic groups, marginalized strata in conditions of activation of innovative management.

Supporting of biodiversity in Sahelian arid areas: Case of artificial lakes and macroinvertebrates

Protecting biodiversity is one of the challenges for achieving sustainable development. This protection requires a good knowledge of species richness and their habitats. It is why this study was conducted. It aimed to assess the diversity of macroinvertebrates in five artificial waterbodies, in order to determine their role in conserving biodiversity. To do so, macroinvertebrates were collected following multi-habitat sampling method using a standard AQEM/STAR net sampler, 25 cm × 25 cm, 500 µm mesh. The samples were fixed with alcohol (90%) and transported to the laboratory. Once in the laboratory, the organisms were carefully sorted and identified under a binocular microscope using an identification keys. The results showed that artificial ecosystems host a high diversity of macroinvertebrates. A total of 1633 macroinvertebrate specimens were collected, divided into 32 families, 9 orders, 5 classes and 3 phyla. Arthropods were the most abundant and diverse. The highest diversity (22 taxa) was reported in Talanga and Naguio reservoirs, followed by reservoirs of Ziga and Kozougou with 21 taxa, and Naguio had the lowest diversity (18 taxa). In these reservoirs, 72% of constant taxa and 28% of rare taxa were recorded. Artificials waterbodies are the main storage waters in Burkina Faso, and contribute significantly to the conservation of biodiversity, and supporting local population activities and development. Their suitable management is therefore essential for the preservation of rural socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation.

Landslide susceptibility mapping using GIS Matrix Method and Frequency Ratio, application in the marly context of Moulay Yacoub Region, Morocco

In the recent decades, the growth of population, man-made facilities, infrastructures, and lifelines at the expense of landslides-prone areas has been responsible for an exponential increase in human and economic losses in many parts of the world. In the Moulay Yacoub region, where marly hills dominate, the interaction of the semi-urban and rural socioeconomic development and landslides significantly increases, which urges identifying and prioritizing areas of risk in order to maximize harm reduction and to avoid the disastrous outcomes as is the case of Moulay Yacoub town. This paper aims to develop a landslide susceptibility map in a highly affected sector of the province, where no previous landslide data have been produced, and to find the most predisposing parameters. This goal is attained using two robust methods for landslide susceptibility mapping, the Frequency Ratio and the GIS Matrix Method. Before that, the correlation of 11 predisposing factors was tested. The results show that the anthropogenic factors, particularly the agricultural practices, were highly involved, and the field investigations proved that cereal farming slopes are the most affected. The success rate was about 0.75 (75%) for both models showing good quality results for the two susceptibility maps. Therefore, the two models could be efficiently used, and the new agricultural projects located in landslide-prone areas of the province must include such reliable methods of landslide hazard analysis to minimize the risk, which would put human lives, ecosystems, food production, and infrastructure in threat.

The relationship of employment in the agricultural sector to electric power consumption, government final consumption, and the democracy index in Bangladesh

Agriculture stands as the cornerstone of Bangladesh’s rural economy, sustaining not only food production, but also serving as a primary source of employment for its rural populace. Modernising this sector holds the potential to bolster its expansion, and generate further employment opportunities, thereby fostering rural socio-economic development. The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of electric power consumption, government final consumption expenditure, and the democracy index on employment in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh. Employing a dynamic ARDL model, we examined the short and long run dynamics between agricultural employment and other independent variables, utilising data spanning the period from 1991 to 2022. The findings underscore the pivotal role played by electricity in the growth of employment in agriculture. The study illuminates the nuanced interplay between various factors, revealing that government expenditure positively influences the agricultural sector, while the democratic landscape exerts a negative influence. In light of these insights, the paper advocates for strategic policy measures, emphasising the critical need for the government to prioritise the development of the electric sector, recognising it as a linchpin for sustainable agricultural growth and overall socio-economic advancement. Simultaneously, the study highlights the imperative of fostering a conducive political environment, underscoring its direct correlation with positive changes in the agricultural sector. Through these concerted efforts, Bangladesh can pave the way for a more resilient and prosperous agricultural landscape, contributing significantly to its overarching socio-economic development.

Targeted poverty alleviation narrowed China's urban-rural income gap: A theoretical and empirical analysis

Between 2013 and 2020, China implemented targeted poverty alleviation (TPA) policy that leads rural socio-economic development to address poverty, and achieved the co-benefits of eliminating absolute poverty and narrowing the urban-rural income gap (URIG). To data, few studies have assessed the impact of TPA on China's URIG. Here, we first constructed the theoretical framework of TPA in narrowing the URIG. Then, based on the panel data of 2081 counties in China from 2013 to 2020, we used the difference in difference (DID) model and spatial Durbin model (SDM) to assess the impact of TPA on China's URIG. Results show that TPA boosted the per capita disposable income of Chinese rural residents by 9.4% and contributed to more than 30% reduction in the county-level URIG. The effect of TPA on narrowing the URIG had a gradient decrease from the east to the middle and west of China, and from mountains to hills and plains, and that in deeply poverty areas was 2.36 times that of the non-deeply areas. TPA reduced the URIG by spatial spillover effects to promote increasing income from rural residents. The direct effect of TPA on increasing the income of rural residents was 1.8 times the indirect effect.

THE NATIONAL TARGET PROGRAM ON BUILDING NEW-STYLE RURAL AREAS IN VIETNAM: THE CURRENT SITUATION AND SOLUTIONS IN ECONOMIC ASPECTS

After 12 years of implementation, the National Target Program on building new-style rural areas in Vietnam has achieved remarkable achievements in terms of both scale and speed of meeting the standards of building new-style rural areas, making an important contribution to the cause of rural socio-economic development in particular and the development of the country in general. However, there are still some limitations in terms of standard local structure, sustainability of criteria, investment resources to build new-style rural areas, quality and value of products, etc. If there is no solution soon, it will become a big barrier, negatively affecting the results of the program in the coming time. This article focuses on analyzing the current situation of the implementation of the National Target Program on building new-style rural areas in Vietnam for the period 2010-2022 in terms of economic aspects, recognizing the successes and identifying the limitations and specifying the cause of the limitations, thereby proposing some remedial solutions to contribute to the effective implementation of the policy of on building new-style rural areas throughout the country.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0008/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Agrotourism as peripheral and ultraperipheral community livelihoods diversification strategy: Insights from the Okavango Delta, Botswana

The potential of agrotourism for livelihoods diversification in remote (peripheral) and extremely remote (ultraperipheral) traditional, agrarian communities is indeed a testament of its uniqueness to enhance rural entrepreneurship development, employment creation and poverty alleviation. In an arid environment such as Botswana's where traditional agricultural concerns are generally impeded by inclement weather conditions exacerbated by climate variability and change scenarios, identifying opportunities in challenges associated with livelihood activities might provide a better pathway for improving rural socio-economic wellbeing and development. Semi-structured interviews and a literature review were used to document the current status and evolution of agrotourism in rural Botswana; and identify the associated constraints and opportunities, which the subsector might offer emerging entrepreneurs. Major findings reveal that agrotourism activities are relatively new and still fledgling in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. While 4.8 percent of the initiatives investigated accounts for agrotourism initiatives that are fully and currently operational in the area, another 4.8 percent constitutes the business initiatives, which are still not fully operational. Findings also revealed that most agrotourism businesses in the Okavango Delta were challenged by inadequate capital outlays constituting an impediment to running a successful business. While bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with registering agrotourism projects is a challenge for some entrepreneurs, a few others are bedeviled by lack of market for their products. The relatively fledgling status of agrotourism in the area might offer a good business opportunity for potential entrepreneurs and the government to fully exploit the socio-economic benefits of the subsector and push a more sustainable environmental conservation agenda, respectively.

Assessing Integrated Effectiveness of Rural Socio-Economic Development and Environmental Protection of Wenchuan County in Southwestern China: An Approach Using Game Theory and VIKOR

A scientific and comprehensive effectiveness evaluation is a prerequisite for clarifying the guiding direction of rural socio-economic development and environmental protection. By using the VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method and weight combination based on game theory, this paper systematically assessed the integrated effectiveness of rural socio-economic development and environmental protection (IERSE) of Wenchuan County in 2018 from the administrative village scale perspective. Results showed that: (1) VIKOR with combined weight and Jenks Natural Breaks Classification is both comprehensive and feasible for large-sample-size evaluation, such as IERSE assessment. (2) The general IERSE of Wenchuan demonstrated considerable positive outcomes. The villages with favorable scores were located along the northwest-central-southeast, whereas unfavorable ones were principally distributed in the northeast and south-central regions. Local spatial agglomeration of favorable IERSE was found in Miansi, Wolong, and Sanjiang Town, whereas the agglomeration of unfavorable IERSE was seen in Yingxiu and Xuankou Town. (3) The IERSE of Wenchuan is mainly constrained by ecological conservation and villagers’ autonomy from the village-scale perspective. Villages with favorable IERSE are chiefly constrained by the education level of the village heads or Party secretaries, while villages with unfavorable IERSE are restricted by ecological conservation. To improve the IERSE in rural Wenchuan, thoroughly taking into account the restrictive factors of local IERSE is an essential step for putting forward differentiated and targeted recommendations connected with ecological environment management, as well as social development initiatives.

Spatially explicit restructuring of rural settlements: A dual-scale coupling approach

Rapid urbanization has had a profound impact on rural socioeconomic development, which has driven the spatial restructuring of rural settlements. Numerous studies have analyzed the spatial restructuring of rural settlements, yet socioeconomic factors and their impacts on villages and rural settlements have been ignored. This paper implemented a dual-scale coupling approach to identify the restructuring direction of rural settlements in Tingzu Town, Hubei Province, China. At the village scale, a population-land-industry evaluation index system was constructed to calculate the development potential of villages. The advanced gravity model was used to measure the intervillage connections, and K-means clustering was applied to divide the village groups, both approaches were used to identify the central villages. At the patch scale, kernel density estimation and accessibility analysis were applied to identify the spatial distribution characteristics of rural settlements, and rural settlements were classified into nine types based on the analysis of density-accessibility spatial combination characteristics. Four types, including relocation and evacuation, characteristic protection, suburban integration, and agglomeration and upgrading were proposed to restructure rural settlements. The restructuring direction and strategies of each type were determined by combining the influence scope of each central village, delineated by the weighted Voronoi diagram and the actual development needs of rural settlements. This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship involved in the restructuring of rural settlements and is of great practical significance for guiding the optimization of rural settlement layouts.

Beekeeping Practices and Physicochemical Properties of Honey Produced in Maun, Botswana

Beekeeping sector plays a major role in rural socio-economic development and environmental conservation. Maun has been identified as one of the excellent potential areas for honeybee production in Botswana because of its suitable agroecological condition for beekeeping. Maun village is located in north-western Botswana and tourism is the main economic activity in the area. It is situated at the gateway for tourists visiting the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. The study was conducted to assess beekeeping practices and determine the physicochemical properties of honey produced in Maun village. Honeybee production practices were assessed by conducting questionnaire survey. Three honey samples were obtained each from backyard hives and the forest and analysed for their physicochemical properties following standard procedures. Honey samples collected from backyard hives had an average moisture (%), pH, free acidity (meq/kg), total ash (%), reducing sugars (%), sucrose (%) and Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) (mg/kg) contents of 18.03±0.15, 4.12±0.02, 21.6±0.10, 0.14±0.01, 71.27±0.13, 1.63±0.02 and 17.67±0.21, respectively. The corresponding values for honey samples collected from the forest were 17.43±0.21, 6.45±0.17, 13.17±0.06, 0.27±0.02, 60.38±0.16, 0.84±0.04 and 20.63±0.55, respectively. Significant differences (p＜0.05) were observed between backyard and forest honey samples for all the parameters considered. The pH, total ash and HMF contents of forest honey samples were significantly higher (p＜0.05) than the corresponding values for backyard honey. On the other hand, the moisture, free acidity, reducing sugars and sucrose contents of backyard honey samples were significantly higher (p＜0.05) than the corresponding values for forest honey. In Maun area, honey is mainly produced in the backyards of farmers using modern hives although some honey is collected from the forest. The dominant vegetation in the area that are used as bee forage include herbs such as rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), lavender (Lavendula angustifolia), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and peppermint (Mentha piperita), strawberry plant (Fragaria ananassa), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea). Honey is mostly harvested in December, and it is used for acne and flu remedy, colds, and as a sweetener. The major challenges of beekeeping in the area were reported to be pests such as wax moth, ants and yellow jackets; use of pesticides and harsh weather conditions. In conclusion, honey produced in Maun area is of good quality. Most of the physicochemical parameters of both honey types analysed in the present study were within the limits of international standards for honey.

Gender gaps in sorghum productivity: evidence from male- and female-managed plots in Uganda

ABSTRACT Gender gaps in crop productivity can negatively affect rural socio-economic development of agrarian economies with serious implications for food and nutrition security. We assess productivity in male- and female-managed sorghum plots in Lira, Kumi, and Serere districts in Uganda. We find male-managed plots have higher productivity of 850.6 kgs/ha compared to female-managed plots (832.6 kgs/ha). An observed mean gender gap of 18% due to structural advantages of male plots (57%), structural disadvantages of female plots (33%), and endowment (10%) exists. Therefore, interventions aimed at promoting equitable access to institutional support services are paramount in reducing structural disadvantages against female farmers.

Tourism as a Driver of Rural Socio-Economic Development: The Case of Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

Many countries especially developing ones like Ghana see tourism as a conduit for socio-economic development. This paper aims to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of the socio-economic effect of the Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary. To achieve this aim, research was carried out into the role of tourism (a Monkey Sanctuary) in promoting rural socio-economic development in Ghana. The systematic sampling and purposive sampling methods were used to select 265 household heads and 11 key informants respectively from the Boabeng and Fiema communities. The questionnaire, interview guide, and observation were mainly used to collect data from respondents. The main finding reveals a community’s acceptance of tourism as having the potential to promote rural socio-economic development. However, this potential is challenged by the activities of the monkeys, destroying farm crops and properties coupled with an infrastructural deficit in the area. Implications are outlined for policymakers and the management of the wildlife sanctuary.

Contemporary Public Policies to Strengthen Family Farming in the International Perspective: A Bibliometric Study

Family farming produces most of the fresh food consumed in large urban centers. However, its success depends on a variety of public policies, which range from strengthening the means of production to supporting marketing channels. In this article, we conduct a careful bibliometric analysis of studies in the international literature that address “family farming, public policies, and socioeconomic development”. The aim of the study is to identify and classify the public policies aimed at supporting family farming and socioeconomic development. We carried out a systematic literature review considering five international scientific journal databases using pairs of the keywords “public policies”, “family farming” and “socioeconomic development”. The resulting sample was a total of 625 articles, covering the period between 1984 and 2020. A bibliometric analysis of the first 50 articles selected by the Methodi Ordinatio tool was performed. For the final portfolio, 10 variables were analyzed to better assess and understand the current literature. Our analysis shows an increase in publications in the last five years, with articles from South America being more prevalent than those from other continents. Brazil being one of the key countries that has developed public policies aimed at family farming and rural socioeconomic development.

Evaluation of agricultural modernization in Gansu province

Based on the research of a large number of related documents, this paper expounds the current situation of agricultural modernization in Gansu Province; Based on the actual situation of modern agricultural development in Gansu Province, combined with the connotation and characteristics of agricultural modernization, the evaluation index system of agricultural modernization in Gansu Province was established. The specific indicators selected are the current situation of agricultural output, agricultural input, rural socio-economic development and sustainable agricultural development. Based on the statistical data of 14 cities and prefectures in Gansu Province in 2018, the factor analysis method and SPSS24.0 software are used to calculate the relevant data and evaluate the development level of agricultural modernization in Gansu Province. And it mainly makes a horizontal comparative analysis on the level of agricultural modernization development of 14 cities and prefectures in Gansu Province in 2018. Through analysis, the following conclusions are drawn: in 2018, the development level of agricultural modernization in Gansu Province showed a gradual decline from west to east, with obvious regional differences; at present, the level of agricultural modernization in Gansu Province mainly depends on the input and output in agricultural production.

Совершенствование государственной поддержки предпринимательства на сельских территориях

While national and regional governments develop and implement various programmes to support rural entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs themselves consider these programmes insufficient. Ultimately, this situation negatively affects the socio-economic development of rural areas. The study aims to develop and test tools for examining the impact of entrepreneurship support programmes on rural socio-economic development. In order to investigate the motivation of actors in the economic system based on their motivating experience, hermeneutic phenomenological research methods in the field of economics were applied. The comparative analysis of entrepreneurship support programmes in Russia and New Zealand was supplemented by semi-structured interviews of entrepreneurs, which demonstrate that the implementation of unrelated projects reduces their efficiency and reinforces the negative perception. According to assessments of Russian entrepreneurs, infrastructure does not play an important role in the success of projects. In addition, the analysed government programmes rarely take into account social responsibility of business in rural areas, even though most of organisations there are family-owned. Recognising the lack of market experience of potential entrepreneurs, the government should primarily provide them with information on how to organise a sustainable business rather than with financial resources. The obtained results prove that the development and implementation of entrepreneurship support programmes in rural areas requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders: public authorities, local governments, rural entrepreneurs, as well as professional self-regulatory organisations and the rural population. To ensure efficient management of joint activities of all participants, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive system in the form of a rural entrepreneurial ecosystem, where the set targets for the development of rural entrepreneurship can be achieved.

Regional tourism axes identification using GIS and TOPSIS model (Case study: Hormozgan Province, Iran)


 Purpose
 
 This paper aims to identify and determine regional tourism axes in Hormozgan Province, Iran, as a region with significant potential
 
 
 
 Design/methodology/approach
 
 The research method is quantitative and uses the fuzzy accreditation tool and TOPSIS model; the identification, determination and ranking of regional tourism axes have been performed by analyzing the spatial distribution of tourism attractions in the GIS environment.
 
 
 
 Findings
 
 The results show that given the capacities of Hormozgan Province, at least 15 axes are recognizable. This paper highlights regional tourism planning as a tool for urban and rural socio-economic development in potential provinces such Hormozgan.
 
 
 
 Originality/value
 
 This study provides a number of practical implications for regional tourism development as follows: it identifies some of the most important potential axes in Hormozgan Province, which can be considered as investment areas in the national and regional tourism development strategy. The spatial results of this study could be embedded in all urban and rural developmental plans in the province. Tourism investment should shift its spatial concentration from the spot approach, especially islands and cities, to the axis approach while equipping those axes as comprehensive spatial strategic regional tourism plans. Sectoral tourism in each sector including sports, economy and nature could be planned as if sectoral institutions and organizations are going to develop their own tourism goals.
 

Youth Empowerment, a Requisite for Rural Development: Case of the Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe

The need for empowering youth is gaining prominence in rural development practice. This is so because it is a viable vehicle for poverty reduction, and sustainable peace, security and improvement in people’s livelihoods. In Zimbabwe, the youth constitute 35% of the total population. This paper is a product of an exploratory case study that was designed to examine youth empowerment in mainly rural areas of the Chimanimani District in eastern Zimbabwe. A semi-structured interview guide was administered to 34 conveniently sampled male and female youth. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data gathered. The youth felt disempowered and were frustrated because their potential contribution to economic, social and political development was underestimated and not fully exploited. They lamented the fact that their inputs rarely influenced policy and development practice. The youth detested corruption and nepotism in the allocation of land and funding for businesses, especially involving ministry officials who they alleged were openly pro-ruling party. Nor did the youth find it easy to assume leadership positions in their communities where elderly men dominated decision making and development space. It was concluded that if the local society recognised and embraced youth involvement in decision making and leadership processes, the implementation of initiatives meant to stimulate rural socio-economic development would be more sustainable.

International Market Integration and Competitiveness of Indian Sugar

Globalization and liberalization policies facilitated national and international commodity markets to integrate with each other. This integration facilitated price transmission and market efficiency of commodities at domestic markets, leading traders across the globe to exploit opportunities. India is one of the vibrant and emerging economies in the world absorbing these economic features and integrating its markets with the world. This article, focusing on the Indian sugar market, explores market integration of sugar prices with the US, UK and global average prices and also contributes a policy dimension to enhance the competitiveness of the Indian sugar sector. The article, using Johansen’s co-integration with a vector error correction model (VECM), finds the existence of market integration of Indian sugar prices with international prices. However, the average Indian sugar prices are higher than those in other markets, with the support of government price protection policies. These higher prices motivated to increase sugar production in the country. The lower cane prices of Brazil, Australia and Thailand pose challenges in international markets for Indian sugar. Despite this, the Indian sugar sector has a competitive advantage in becoming a great energy source by focusing on ethanol production, which would lead to reducing its international dependency for oil supplies. In addition, the sector can also contribute to rural socio-economic development through adopting technology to produce other by-products rather than merely concentrating on sugar.

What is the anti-poverty effect of solar PV poverty alleviation projects? Evidence from rural China

Since 2014, China’s photovoltaic poverty alleviation projects (PPAPs) have developed rapidly with the strong support of the Chinese government. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on the contribution of PPAPs in improving the livelihoods of poor rural families is lacking. In order to overcome this knowledge gap, this study adopted a quasi-experimental research method based on a sample dataset of 735 poor families in Chinese rural areas before and after the project. Using five types of livelihood capital values for poor families as poverty proxy indicators, we quantified the net contribution of PPAPs to poverty reduction in rural low-income families through probability distribution comparative analysis, mean comparison analysis, and difference-in-difference regression model. Results demonstrated that the PPAPs were able to precisely target rural families requiring relief and significantly reduced poverty in China, with the net effect on livelihood capital increases for rural families determined as 31.9%. PPAPs have effectively enhanced the economic conditions and social capital of poor families, yet increases in human and natural capital performed poorly. Differences existed in the anti-poverty effect of PPAPs across the three types of solar photovoltaic resource areas. The rural socioeconomic development and access to roads were undoubtedly important factors affecting the livelihoods of rural families.