From adoption potential to Transformative Learning around Conservation Agriculture

Purpose: To develop a transformative learning process around the potential for innovation of technologies such as Conservation Agriculture.

Design/methodology/approach: We applied principles of Transformative Learning and Communicative Action theories to design a learning process structured by the Qualitative Expert Assessment Tool for Conservation Agriculture Adoption in Africa (QAToCA). Elements of the process include: agroecosystem health exploration, stakeholder mapping, innovation timeline, participatory video, the QAToCA exercise, and specifying change promotion. We tested this approach with a group of farmers and experts in Koumbia, Burkina Faso.

Findings: The agroecosystem in Koumbia is under demographic, economic, and climatic pressure. Conservation Agriculture has not been successfully integrated into socio-economic realities or implemented beyond a trial scale. The stakeholder mapping showed that dominant economic players and traditional means of communicating are essential to achieve innovation. Past interventions were not coordinated and focused on technical challenges. The participatory videos were rich in contextual information and created process ownership for research participants. The QAToCA provided a structure for lessons learned and suggestions for change.

Practical implications: The learning process may be applied to initiate innovation initiatives in an efficient manner.

Theoretical implications: The study shows how Transformative Learning and Communicative Action theories can be used for agricultural innovation. It also underlines the need for further work on how to address the implicit superiority of the process initiator and the integration of learning in institutional practice.

Originality: Few studies have attempted to design and test learning processes on agricultural innovation based on theories of learning and Communicative Action.     

关注"三农",解决好农村留守儿童的教育问题

近年来,人们对“三农”问题给予了高度的关注。然而我们在关注“三农”本身的同时,还要关注由此而衍生的农村留守儿童的教育问题。要站在解决“三农”问题的高度,加大户籍制度改革力度,让留守儿童享有平等受教育的权利。落实支农政策,改善农村中小学的办学条件,加强对留守儿童的教育与管理。努力改变家长的外出务工和教育沟通方式,强化家庭对留守儿童教育的作用。加大宣传力度,建立和完善农村社区教育和监护体系,形成全社会对留守儿童的教育齐抓共管的格局。从法律上、制度上整体地把这一问题纳入到社会经济发展总目标中加以解决,做到标本兼治,彻底解决留守儿童教育的问题。     

邓小平的农业科学发展观

中国农业的落后,制约着整个国民经济发展的全局,邓小平对此有过深深的担忧。中国国情有不利于农业发展的一面。农业的发展前景要依靠科学,尤其要依靠尖端科学技术。     

毛泽东论工业化

工业化是社会现代化的基础和重要组成部分。毛泽东的工业化思想是毛泽东把马列主义发展工业的理论和苏联发展工业的经验教训与中国实际相结合而提出来的，是毛泽东思想的重要内容。毛泽东论述了在中国实现工业化的原因、前提条件、中国工业化的目标以及在中国实现工业化的方针和途径。这些论述对中国工业化建设乃至中国社会现代化建设都有重要的指导作用。     

论教育平民化

从近年来教育投诉的热点来看,教育产业化不仅危害教育事业发展本身,也危害社会主义建设事业和国家长治久安。教育平民化是符合我国国情的教育发展方式。发展平民化教育需要从控制大学学费、整合高校资源、完善政府投入渠道等方面进行。     

黄河河道变迁与徐州社会兴衰

黄河改道期间对徐州社会产生极大影响。将徐州水环境的变化以黄河改道为节点进行划分,以1128年黄河改道之前为一阶段,1128至1855年黄河改道期间为一阶段进行分析,最后以钱学森先生提出的＂山水城市＂观点,对徐州市未来的发展进行展望。     

后发地区“四化同步”实现路径探微

对于后发地区来说,"四化同步"需要坚持效率优先、动态平衡和城市质量提升的原则,需要解决好重型工业化是否可逾越、新型工业化与工业化关系、城市化和工业化相适应以及城乡发展一体化等问题。后发地区应该将城市化重点放在主城区,避免小城镇化。可选择以装备制造业为主体的重化工业。为了适应农业现代化和城市化带来的劳动力转移,需要处理好农民与土地关系。同时,大力发展劳动密集型产业,并以现代服务业为发展战略。     

广西北部湾经济区国家级文化遗产产业化开发初探

广西北部湾经济区历史悠久,文化底蕴深厚,国家级文化遗产资源丰富。积极推进文化遗产产业化开发有利于促进经济、政治等各方面的发展,目前广西北部湾经济区国家级文化遗产产业化开发还处于低级阶段,虽然开发模式多种多样,但在开发过程中还存在较多问题,对其开发模式进行分析研究有利于更好地开发利用。     

Production Risk in a Subsistence Agriculture

Abstract

Purpose: In this article we illustrate the importance of understanding the risk profiles of new technologies, in addition to the changes in productivity, to be able to determine strategies for agricultural development.

Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on data obtained from a 2002 survey of subsistence farmers in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, and a Just and Pope (1978) framework is used for modeling risk.

Findings: We find that even if extension services do not increase the mean production, it may reduce production risk.

Practical implication and originality/value: During the past decades, agricultural extension and subsidized conventional inputs such as high-yielding seed varieties, fertilizer and pesticides, have become important components of agricultural aid programs in developing countries. However, outcomes of this type of aid are somewhat ambiguous, and many donor countries have reduced their support in response. For the most part, evaluation of these programs employs total factor productivity analysis to estimate the changes in productivity resulting from investment in aid programs. However, risk-averse, small-scale farmers will consider both the variance in output and the expected mean. They may therefore choose input levels that differ from the optimal input levels of risk-neutral producers, who consider only the expected mean. Programs can therefore have a positive effect because they reduce risk, even if the direct impact on production is limited.     

兵团棉花产业化发展的几点思考

通过在兵团实施棉花产业化发展,全面做大做强兵团棉花产业,形成以棉花生产为基础的强大的棉花产业链,以此带动相关产业发展的产业集群,推进兵团“三化建设”,实现跨越式发展.