| Since the entrance of the new century, China has been experiencing an acceleration in industrialization, urbanization and agricultural modernization, which triggers the demand of circular agriculture in city countryside and also provides an opportunity for its development. On the one hand, the circular agriculture in city countryside came into being due to the resources exhaustion and environmental deterioration caused by extensive utilization, which also results in a low ecological efficiency disproportional to economic growth rate. On the other hand, the economic power of urban areas has been strengthened fast with cities’ functions being gradually improved and cities’capability of supporting surrounding areas being enhanced, which serves as an opportunity for the development of circular agriculture in city countryside. In the context mentioned above, this paper is taking Beijing as an example to analyze the behavior of main actors in circular agriculture in city countryside, figure out major factors that influence the circular agriculture in city countryside, then further discuss and research on the current status and function of these factors. Moreover, based on the definition of circular agriculture in city countryside and relevant research, this paper is putting forward feasible suggestions on this particular field.Based on the statistic analysis of Logistic model, Cobb-Douglas production function and comparative labor productivity among industries, the enterprise behavior theory, the trickling-down effect model and Rogers innovation diffusion theory, the paper makes a systematic and through research on the contents, typical functions, behavior of main actors and major influencing factors of circular agriculture in city countryside through case studies. The research results are shown as follows:Firstly, the paper makes a comprehensive and clear definition of the concept, characteristics, tendency and functions of the circular agriculture in city countryside. In this paper, the circular agriculture in city countryside refers to a kind of circular agriculture developed in the suburban areas of the cities. It is characterized with special location, environmental friendliness, technological innovation, intensive use of resources and multiple actors. With its tendency of industrial integration, scale production, industrial cluster and functional diversity, the circular agriculture in city countryside boasts its economic, social and ecological functions.Secondly, the paper starts with an analysis of main actors in circular agriculture in city countryside, then establish a theoretical analysis framework of influencing factors of the circular agriculture in city countryside. The mechanism of circular agriculture in city countryside is illustrated as follows. The farm households, farmer cooperatives and leading agricultural enterprises are carriers who impact on the production activities directly. The regional economic capacity and reasonable industrial integration are inner drive, which affect fundamentally the productivity and ecological efficiency. Resources endowment, serving as the production and developmental basis, effects on its model and features. Technological innovation is a higher-level approach to update and optimize the agriculture industry, influencing on the development path. Policies and governmental support, serving to tackle the market failure and coordinate economic growth and ecological protection, ensure the sustainable development and its achievements. The key point of developing the circular agriculture in city countryside is to better coordinate the main actors and its influencing factors by setting the main actors as the carriers, resources endowment as the foundation, regional economic growth as the driving force, technological innovation as approaches and policies as support.Thirdly, the development of circular agriculture in city countryside is actually a process of optimization and update of agricultural industry, with its driving force transformed from input to innovation. A large-scale and organized development is the possible tendency of the circular agriculture in city countryside. The appropriate main actors are likely to be leading enterprises and farmer cooperatives with features of leading enterprises. During the process of industrial update, resources endowment, market economy, technological innovation and governmental support are all key influencing factors.Fourthly, the guaranteed economic benefits gained from circular agriculture in city countryside are the key to its sustainable development, also to its future large-scale and cluster. The economic benefits from the circular agriculture in city countryside are subject to investment (governmental investment, social investment, etc.), consumption and governmental revenue support (Pigovian Tax), which are in essence decided by the development of regional economy. Should circular agriculture in city countryside in Beijing realizes a long-term sustainable development, two points have to be emphasized:(1) provided the contribution of technology advancement remains stable, when petroleum agriculture input is substituted with green input, the contribution of green input to agricultural production should be no less than 274.02%; (2) provided the input of agricultural labor force remains stable, when the material input and technology input transformed together, the sum of both contribution should be no less than 337.06%.Fifthly, major technologies applied in the circular agriculture in city countryside are reduction technologies, re-utilization of crop residues, re-utilization of animal wastes, sewage disposal technologies, application of small-size agricultural machines, utilization of underground space, etc. The extension and application of new fertilizers and pesticides, irrigation water-saving technology, new compost application and biogas electricity generation are successful in the region of case study. Particularly, the circular agricultural technologies applied by large-scale leading enterprises and agricultural industry cluster are featured with technological advancement, capital intensiveness and high integration. Nevertheless, there are problems:In terms of equipments, the design of some is too sophisticated to be universally used due to its lack of flexibility; some equipment is of high cost and less benefits. In terms of technology extension, some extension sectors make poor performance in continuous service which is not beneficial to the sustainable development of circular agriculture in city countryside; some sectors encounter unfavorable application environment which restrict the development of circular agriculture in city countryside. In terms of subjects of technology application, some lack of the understanding and recognition of technologies applied in circular agriculture in city countryside. There are no adequate incentives and relevant restriction on undertaking circular agriculture in city countryside.Sixthly, the development of circular agriculture in city countryside depends on available water, land and biological resources. In current, the water and land used in agricultural production is suffering quantity shortage and quality deterioration. Biological resources are not fully utilized, especially for the re-utilization of agricultural wastes. The above-mentioned situation delivers an urgent requirement of the development of circular agriculture in city countryside. Due to the diversified distribution of water, land and biological resources, the circular agriculture in city countryside so has to be differently developed according to specific locations. Different integration forms and development models are to be adopted based on particular industrial development requirement and different resources endowment. In the process of promoting circular agriculture in city countryside, risks and problems are also posed, such as renewable water resources polluting the soil and crops, small demand of re-utilization of wastes, etc.Seventhly, policies insure the development of circular agriculture in city countryside and affect its outcomes. The development of circular agriculture in city countryside requires policy support in areas such as revenue, taxation, finance, water and electricity usage, etc. Problems existing in circular agriculture are listed as follows:the policy-supporting projects do not coordinate with the overall regional plan; the experience gained from pilot project is not largely promoted; the task of developing circular agriculture in city countryside does not included in government performance assessment system, which leads to more emphasis on formality of development than on its outcome; the coverage of the supporting policies is relatively small and the charge preference is relatively low, which makes it harder to motivate the public’s enthusiasm.According to the research results, the paper puts forward the following suggestions:Firstly, improve the main actors of circular agriculture in city countryside. The farmers, entrepreneurs and other participants’recognition of developing circular agriculture has to be formed, the capability of each actor has to be improved. The farm households, farmer cooperatives and leading enterprises have to be encouraged to collaborate with each other, in order to realize the re-utilization of wastes. Communication between planting park and standardized animal farms has to be strengthened so as to establish a material circulation between industries. Leading enterprises should be encouraged to form a vertical integration, so as to build a circular agricultural economic park which enjoys large-scale material and economic circulation and well-equipped upper-stream and lower-stream industries.Secondly, intensify the economic support for the circular agriculture in city countryside. In the first place, relevant financial support should be given to those farmers of worse economic conditions; preferential taxes should be levied on farmer cooperatives and leading enterprises that adopted circular agricultural technologies. In the second place, the advantages of collective economy should be explored by making use of dominant resources during the process of project implementation, industrial development and social service. In the third place, the market system for products of circular agriculture in city countryside should be improved by establishing an authorization and market entrance campaign for its products. The promotion and sales plan for its products should be enhanced. Market mechanism should be adopted to lead the development of circular agriculture in city countryside.Thirdly, the resources for the development of circular agriculture in city countryside should be guaranteed. In the first place, the quality of renewable water should be improved by strengthening the research and development of processing technique of renewable water, raising the quality standard for renewable water after the processing. By doing so, the risks of contamination of crops, soil and underground water will be reduced. In the second place, the land should be supplied effectively. On the one hand, the basic arable land should be cleared defined and protected; on the other hand, deep plowing and supplementary application of organic fertilizers should be adopted in order to improve the productivity of the land. In the third place, resources allocation should be optimized according to the distribution of water, land and biological resources, so as to explore the development form and model of the circular agriculture in city countryside.Fourthly, the technology extension of circular agriculture in city countryside should be accelerated. In the first place, the research and development of its technologies should be push ahead; the applicability of new technologies and new products developed for the circular agriculture should be enhanced. In the second place, the service for the agricultural technology extension should be improved by emphasizing the continuity, comprehensiveness and systematicness. The technology extension channels should be stabilized and further expanded in order to realize project commercialization, service socialization and make extension activities suitable to the market. In the third place, a specialized technology extension agency should be established, so as to make full use of bigger cities’ advantages of higher science and technology level and higher educational standard, and finally build a non-profitable and comprehensive center for the development of circular agriculture in city countryside.Fifthly, the policy system for the circular agriculture in city countryside should be improved. In the first place, subsidies for the using of circular agricultural technologies should be concreted; a rule of eco-compensation should be formed. In the second place, mandatory provisions of developing circular agriculture in city countryside should be established. It should be clearly stipulated that whoever undertaking large-scale planting, breeding and other agricultural activities in the suburban should shoulder the responsibility of processing the wastes of agricultural production and trying to make re-utilization of these wastes. In the third place, a development plan for the circular agriculture in city countryside should be framed, with key regions of developing circular agriculture in city countryside, major technologies and development steps being clarified, so as to insure a scientific and orderly development of the circular agriculture in city countryside.The present paper has the following four innovation points:first, the paper makes a comprehensive, systematic and clear definition of the concept, characteristics, tendency and functions of the circular agriculture in city countryside. Second, the paper starts with a behavior analysis of main actors of circular agriculture in city countryside, and then establishes a theoretical analysis framework for the influencing factors of the circular agriculture in city countryside. Third, the paper conducts analysis by applying the theoretical model of Trickling-down Effect, Cobb-Douglas production function, comparative labor productivity among industries, etc. fourth, based on the analysis of circular agriculture in city countryside in Beijing, the paper puts forward some suggestions. |
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