The land issue: Power struggles between the central government and local authorities

Based on:- Zhang Qianfang, “Uncertain conservation of cultivable land in China,” Changcheng Yuebao, 11 June 2011.- Mao Yushi, “Key to problem of cultivable land in China lies in rational and equitable use,” Shidai zhoubao, 3 November 2011

Fukushima: Towards a reconsideration of China’s nuclear plans?

Based on:– Wang Jiabo, “Views on the Fukushima crisis,” Guangming Ribao, 26 March 2011.– Deng Li, “Modernisation of crisis handling: Inspecting the national nuclear system,” 21 Shiji Jingji Baodao (21st Century Business Herald), 25 March 2011.– Zhao Yongxin, Jiang Jianke, and Zhang Yujie, “Three questions for China’s nuclear plans,” Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily), 11 April 2011

The land issue: Power struggles between the central government and local authorities

Based on:- Zhang Qianfang, “Uncertain conservation of cultivable land in China,” Changcheng Yuebao, 11 June 2011.- Mao Yushi, “Key to problem of cultivable land in China lies in rational and equitable use,” Shidai zhoubao, 3 November 2011

L’enjeu de la terre : luttes de pouvoir entre gouvernement central et gouvernements locaux

Sources : - Zhang Qianfang,« L’incertaine conservation des terres cultivées en Chine », Changcheng Yuebao, 11 juin 2011. - Mao Yushi, « La clé du problème des terres cultivables en Chine réside dans leur utilisation rationnelle et équitable », Shidai zhoubao, 3 novembre 2011

L’enjeu de la terre : luttes de pouvoir entre gouvernement central et gouvernements locaux

Sources : - Zhang Qianfang,« L’incertaine conservation des terres cultivées en Chine », Changcheng Yuebao, 11 juin 2011. - Mao Yushi, « La clé du problème des terres cultivables en Chine réside dans leur utilisation rationnelle et équitable », Shidai zhoubao, 3 novembre 2011

Multi-objective optimization as a tool to identify possibilities for future agricultural landscapes

Agricultural landscapes provide many functions simultaneously including food production, regulation of water and regulation of greenhouse gases. Thus, it is challenging to make land management decisions, particularly transformative changes, that improve on one function without unintended consequences on other functions. To make informed decisions the trade-offs between different landscape functions must be considered. Here, we use a multi-objective optimization algorithm with a model of crop production that also simulates environmental effects such as nitrous oxide emissions to identify trade-off frontiers and associated possibilities for agricultural management. Trade-offs are identified in three soil types, using wheat production in the UK as an example, then the trade-off for combined management of the three soils is considered. The optimisation algorithm identifies trade-offs between different objectives and allows them to be visualised. For example, we observed a highly non-linear trade-off between wheat yield and nitrous oxide emissions, illustrating where small changes might have a large impact. We used a cluster analysis to identify distinct management strategies with similar management actions and use these clusters to link the trade-off curves to possibilities for management. There were more possible strategies for achieving desirable environmental outcomes and remaining profitable when the management of different soil types was considered together. Interestingly, it was on the soil capable of the highest potential profit that lower profit strategies were identified as useful for combined management. Meanwhile, to maintain average profitability across the soils, it was necessary to maximise the profit from the soil with the lowest potential profit. These results are somewhat counterintuitive and so the range of strategies supplied by the model could be used to stimulate discussion amongst stakeholders. In particular, as some key objectives can be met in different ways, stakeholders could discuss the impact of these management strategies on other objectives not quantified by the model

Contours sociopolitiques de la modernisation agricole chinoise : l’engagement sur des chemins de transition

This dissertation takes as its point of departure the recent renewal of the interest of the Chinese state in agricultural development. The approach of this research is twofold: political and sociological. The political approach focuses on the analysis of agricultural modernization policies between 2004 and 2014, with the aim of understanding the frames of reference of agricultural modernization promoted by the central government, which is characterized by two main goals – food security and economic development – and three main levers – science and technology, industries and the rural exodus. The spreading of this dominant frame of reference has effects on the sociological patterns of agricultural production, which are explored by the second approach of this research in four targeted areas: Beijing, Shandong, Jiangxi and Ningxia. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews, this sociological analysis investigates the modalities of the reinvolvement of Chinese government officials in rural areas through the implementation of policies aimed at modernizing agricultural production and examines the pattern of relationships and the roles played by political and economic stakeholders in the modernization process. The analysis of the sociopolitical frames built in the course of the modernization of agricultural production enables to identify the features of the agricultural modernization pathway China is engaging on. In particular, the established patterns of power and institutions in rural areas led to the establishment of roadblocks that impede transition towards social and environmental sustainability of agricultural production.Notre recherche, qui prend pour point de départ le récent renouveau de l’intérêt du gouvernement chinois pour le développement agricole, s’appuie sur deux approches. La première se fonde sur une analyse des documents de référence promulguant les lignes directrices des politiques de modernisation agricole entre 2004 et 2014, et a pour but de saisir les traits du référentiel dominant de modernisation tel que promu par le gouvernement central. Ce référentiel dominant, en particulier, promeut deux objectifs principaux – la sécurité alimentaire et le développement économique – et trois outils de mise en œuvre : le développement scientifique et technologique, l’implication des entreprises et l’exode rural. La diffusion de ce référentiel dominant a des conséquences sur les schémas sociologiques de la production agricole, que la deuxième approche explore au sein de quatre régions d’étude situées dans les provinces, zones administrative et municipalité du Ningxia, du Jiangxi, du Shandong et de Pékin. Cette analyse sociologique se penche sur l’étude des modalités de réinvestissement des activités de production agricole par les officiels locaux et montre que ces derniers s’appuient de manière préférentielle sur un réseau d’agroentrepreneurs industriels locaux. L’analyse des structures relationnelles locales qui se forment ou se cristallisent au cours de ce processus permet de saisir les contours de la trajectoire de modernisation sur laquelle s’engage aujourd’hui l’agriculture chinoise et révèle la formation d’obstacles institutionnels et sociologiques à l’évolution des pratiques agricoles vers plus de durabilité sociale et environnementale