Research & reports

Zhu Mi-juan · Ecological Economy · China

This paper reviews prior research on urban agriculture and compares Chinese and foreign urban agriculture in terms of their emergence, scope, industry structure, development direction, and functions. It concludes that the basic development models used in foreign countries are not suited to China and that China should build its own "sustainable" (continuable) development model by modernizing and adapting elements drawn from foreign sustainable agriculture practice, rather than adopting foreign models directly.

Hui Zhi-jua · Journal of Huaibei Professional and Technical College · China

Urbanization is described here not only as a process in which population aggregates in cities, the farming economy transforms into an urban economy, and rural areas become urban areas, but also as a transition in people's behavioral and living styles. "Village-in-the-urban" is presented as a logical result of the expansion of towns and cities in China, where constant collision and conflict, along with interaction and fusion, occur between original rural culture and urban culture, and between native and foreign culture. From a sociological perspective, this paper analyzes the conflict and fusion characterizing villages-in-the-urban.

Zhao Di-fei · Journal of Minjiang University · China

Urban agriculture (UA), a new form of agriculture that emerged in the 1950s in Europe and America, is examined here through a review of recent Chinese research on the topic. The paper defines UA as a rural-type industry located within urban areas, one that draws on garden landscapes and environmental resources and combines UA with rural industry and rural culture. Using J.H. von Thünen's agricultural location theory as its basis, it analyzes the origin of UA's location and the "UA belt" in China, and examines the production, development, and spatial layout of urban agriculture there.

East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority · East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority, Government of West Bengal · India

The East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) span 12,500 hectares on the eastern edge of Kolkata city, forming the world's largest wastewater-fed aquaculture system built around about 254 sewage-fed fish ponds. Designated a Ramsar site of international importance in 2002, the wetlands are conserved and managed by EKWMA, established under the East Kolkata Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Act, 2006. The site faces growing threats from urbanization.

Shen Wen-hua · Beijing shehui kexue · China (Beijing)

Agriculture-related industries in Beijing, China, are increasingly contributing to agricultural production, farmer's income, and rural employment. This paper, based on a survey of these industries, analyzes their current situation and measures the proportion of farm laborers and those in agriculture-related industries. The author proposes new ideas such as developing urban agriculture, extending modern agricultural production chains, and accelerating the transfer of rural surplus labor.

李伯才 · 上海农村经济 · China (Shanghai)

This article outlines the development of Fengxian District's agriculture in Shanghai, China, in response to China's WTO entry and the city's modernization and urban-rural integration goals. It proposes that Fengxian District will be transformed into a high-standard, high-level, international, and modern coastal urban agriculture area through diligent research, scientific demonstration, and active exploration.

Zhong Wan · · China

A systematic review of research literature on urban agriculture in China revealed that Chinese academia has focused on the origin, definition, connotation, and localized demonstration studies of urban agriculture. However, systematic research on theoretical deepening and the relationship with urban development is scarce. Approximately six genres of domestic urban agriculture research were identified.

郑仕源 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · China

This paper discusses the development of urban agriculture and modern agricultural villages in metropolitan rural areas of China. It argues that metropolitan agriculture is crucial for China's agricultural development and for improving farmers' living standards. In the context of WTO entry and international competition, agricultural comprehensive development should focus on addressing "three rural issues" by integrating local conditions to define key directions, regions, and projects.

Pan Qi-yun · Shanghai nongye xuebao · China (Shanghai)

This study investigated and analyzed the problems of developing urban agriculture in Shanghai, China. It discussed countermeasures and approaches for promoting the protection of urban agriculture based on sustainable development principles. The study also proposed strategies for advancing agricultural and rural economic structures, developing high-quality agriculture, and improving agricultural product quality and competitiveness.

叶荣剑, 陈建强 · 浙江农村机电 · China

The Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government positioned Hangzhou's agriculture as "urban agriculture" in alignment with the spirit of the 16th Party Congress and to coordinate urban-rural economic and social development. In January 2003, the "Hangzhou Urban Agriculture Development Implementation Opinions" notice was issued. Urban agriculture is defined as agriculture in highly industrialized and urbanized cities and their surrounding areas, leveraging urban advantages in capital, information, talent, and technology.

Sun Guo-xing · Tianjin Agricultural Sciences · China (Tianjin)

This article analyzes the mutual impacts of urban agriculture and urbanization in Tianjin, China, and suggests ways for urban-rural integrated coordinated development. It discusses key strategic problems for further development based on the current situation of urban agriculture and urbanization. The article reports on strategy and general development trends for urban agriculture and urbanization.

Cheng Xu · · China (Beijing)

This study examined environmental protection consciousness and willingness to pay (WTP) for agricultural non-point pollution in a suburban agricultural area in Beijing, China, using the contingent valuation method (CVM). Survey results showed that residents' environmental protection consciousness is rising, with a positive relationship between educated ages and family net income with WTP, but a negative relationship between interviewee age and WTP. The averaged WTP was 49.18 yuan RMB per capita, and the total WTP for Shunyi district was about 26.81 million yuan RMB in 2002.

Wanbin Zhu · Keji daobao · China

This paper discussed various questions concerning Urban Agriculture (UA) research in China, covering its origin, concept, functions, and land use planning. It also provided suggestions regarding common misconceptions, potential research areas, and strategies for the sustainable development of UA.

李仁杰 · 决策导刊 · China (Chongqing)

The Jiulongpo District in Chongqing, China, has implemented "high-tech strategy, urbanization strategy, and urban agriculture strategy" under the guidance of a scientific development concept. The district committee and government emphasize coordinated economic and social development and highly value education. The abstract describes the district's general development strategies and its focus on education, mentioning urban agriculture as one of the strategies.

孙景淼 · 杭州研究 · China (Hangzhou)

In 2005, Hangzhou's "San Nong" (agriculture, rural areas, and farmers) work was guided by the spirit of the 16th Central Committee's Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions, prioritizing integrated urban-rural development. The focus was on increasing farmers' income and improving their quality of life, with key initiatives including developing urban agriculture, promoting employment transfer, deepening practical projects, and protecting farmers' rights.

付明星 · 学习与实践 · China

A Chinese policy paper on urban agriculture development in Xinzhou District, Wuhan. Following the central government's emphasis on the "three rural issues" (agriculture, rural areas, farmers), Xinzhou pursued structural adjustment and specialty-agriculture promotion, reporting its best performance in agricultural output growth and farmer income increase in 2004 in eight years. It then sets out plans to address remaining problems—large population relative to land, low productivity, unoptimized structure, product quality-and-safety issues, and weak agricultural technology extension—through scientific planning, structural adjustment, institutional innovation, specialty agriculture, circular economy, agricultural standardization, industrialization, and rural labor transfer.

陈璧显, 何正明 · 上海农村经济 · China

A report on preliminary investigation and policy recommendations concerning Wuxi City's (Jiangsu Province, China) "three concentrations" strategy, announced at an April 2005 rural work conference: concentrating agriculture into appropriately scaled operations within modern urban-agriculture planning zones, concentrating industry into development and industrial zones, and concentrating farmers into towns and communities (central villages). Positioned by the Wuxi municipal party committee and government as a key initiative and as a long-term strategy of industry feeding back into agriculture and cities supporting rural areas, the report states that each city, county and district was, at the time, steadily advancing the strategy based on prior practice.

Kazuyuki Kobayashi, Makoto Yokohari, Akinibu MURAKAMI, Takashi Watanabe · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Asia

This study examined how the Kabuhayan sa Gulayan urban agriculture program in Metro Manila, Philippines -- started to improve the living conditions of the urban poor and reduce urban waste -- is implemented, focusing on the supportive roles of participants including the Department of Agriculture, the Municipal Agricultural Office, Barangays, and NGOs. It found that Barangays can support "selection of farmers" and "use of compost," attributing this to their small administrative scale, which allows them to adjust opinions with residents, and it concludes that Barangay participation in the program is important.

Jianguo Dai · Journal of Shenzhen Polytechnic · China (Shenzhen)

Urban agriculture in Shenzhen faces problems including decreasing farmland, inadequate skilled farmers, poor disaster resistance, immature insurance, increasing contamination of water, soil, air, and agricultural products, and poor modern enterprise management. Strategies proposed for sustainable development include specific laws, pollution protection, education, research, technology application, industrial technology application, leisure agriculture development, and diversification.

Gang Kang · Journal of Chongqing Polytechnic College · China (Chongqing)

This article positions urban agriculture tourism as a new method for sustainable development in tourism, outlining the concepts and development of urban agriculture and urban agriculture tourism in Chongqing. It illustrates the advantages of urban agriculture tourism in Chongqing and presents four types of agricultural tourism development for the region. Based on this information, the article puts forward suggestions for developing urban agriculture tourism in Chongqing.

朱慧娟 · 浙江现代农业 · China

In recent years, Yinzhou District's agriculture has actively promoted the adjustment of its industrial structure and industrialization, achieving sustained and healthy development aimed at increasing agricultural efficiency and farmers' income. Following the conversion of Yinxian County into a district, administrative barriers with the Ningbo urban area were removed, facilitating the rational flow of production factors and opening new avenues for the district's socio-economic development. This has led to the emergence of numerous large-scale, high-grade leading agricultural enterprises.

Lai Chang-wei · Journal of Chongqing Institute of Commerce · China (Chongqing)

This study examines the declining proportion of agriculture in Chongqing Urbanism Circle's total economic gross due to civilization and industrialization. It asserts that agriculture's status remains important for perfecting city functions and developing industries. Modifying agricultural structure and functions and developing modern urban agriculture are identified as significant tasks for promoting Chongqing's agricultural and overall industrial development within the Urbanism Circle.

王建炘 · 农金纵横 · China

Focusing on the economically developed southern Jiangsu region of China, this piece describes a rising momentum toward building modern urban agriculture, driven by heightened attention to "agriculture, rural areas and farmers" issues from party and government at all levels and by growing domestic and foreign investment in agriculture. It states, however, that the Agricultural Bank of China — described as the main force in rural finance — has for years shifted the focus of its business expansion toward urban areas, advantaged secondary and tertiary industries, and quality domestic and foreign industrial enterprises, leaving it providing very little credit service or support to agriculture.

Shaohua Yin · Economic Geography · China

This essay discusses a development strategy for building green cities in Hunan, China, proposing four aspects: relying on green concepts, developing the green economy, establishing scientific urban layout, and emphasizing urban agriculture. It argues such a strategy must be treated not as a slogan but as a systematic science, concept, belief and way of life requiring everyone's effort and comprehensive coordination, without presenting specific data or study findings.

Kenny Lynch · · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This piece reviews the literature on urban agriculture (UA), noting that Bryceson (1993) provides documentary evidence from as early as 1939 of UA's importance during and after the Second World War, and that the UN University's Food Energy Nexus research programme in the mid-1980s prompted researchers to examine agricultural cultivation within city boundaries more seriously. Since then, a significant body of literature has developed around a central debate over whether urban agriculture is beneficial, summarized by Lynch (2002). This summary is described as having two problems: it assumes urban agriculture is a homogenous activity with universally similar impacts, and it is largely viewed from the perspective of a city's population, so urban agriculture tends to be seen as beneficial for food, employment and the environment with little consideration of its impacts on the rural-urban food supply. This led Lynch, Binns and Olofin (2001) to argue that urban agriculture should instead be considered part of the broader urban food supply system.