Influences to Farmers toward the Conversion of Cropland to
Forest and Grassland Policy: a Case Study in Huachi, China
Li Jiang 1, Liya Yang 1, Yue Zhang 1, Pingli An1, Colin G Brown3 ,Scott Waldron3
( 1,2China Agricultural University, College of Resources and Environmental Beijing 100193;
3
the University of Queensland，Australia )
Abstract: Policies of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland are important to strengthen
ecological construction and to improve the lives of farmers in Western China. With Huachi County as
an example, this paper describes the main policies about conversion of cropland to forest and grassland
on the basis of field survey and data analysis, and analyzes the implementation of these policies in
Huachi County. It shows that the change from cropland to forest and grassland has significantly
increased farmers' incomes, heightened their labor enthusiasm, promoted the development of the stock
breeding, and more farmers are engaged in the secondary and tertiary industries. The existing problems
are mainly as follows: the compensations of subsidy do no good to improve farmer’s self-development
ability, the investment from government is not enough, the speed of transferring the surplus labor force
is still slow. Suggestions, such as prolonging the grant period, promoting follow-up industrial
development, and improving farmers’ participation to build their homes, are put forward.
Keywords: Policy of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland
farmer
Huachi County
Excessive deforestation for land reclamation and overgrazing for a long time, intensified
land desertification, and speeded up the degradation of ecological environment. Meanwhile,
national total grain was in balance between the supply and demand. And this made it possible
to return some farmland to forest and grassland. The conversion of cropland to forest or
grassland project, which stared point project in 1999, was in full swing in 2004, improved
greatly ecological environment and the living and production conditions of farmers, produced
great ecological, economic and social benefits.
With Huachi County as an example, this paper analyzes how the implementation of
returning cropland to forest and grassland impacted farmers’ lives，how much farmers know
about the policies of returning farmland to forest and grassland, whether farmers are satisfied
with the policies of returning farmland to forest and grassland, if economic forest and animal
husbandry can constantly ensure farmers’ income, what conditions farmers need to support
1
,
Technology Project of China 2006BAD20B07 ACIAR Project: LWR/2007/191
Brief introduction of correspondent author: Pingli An, female, mainly engaged in researches of land-use plan, the
risks of food security. Mailing Address: College of Resources and Environment, China Agricultural University,
Yuan Ming Yuan West Road No. 2, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193. Tel：010—62733568，E-mail：
[email protected]。
their development, and so on.
1.The conversion of cropland to forest and grassland program in
Huachi County
1.1 Study Area
This study is undertaken in Huachi County (E107 ° 29'-108 ° 33 ' longitude and N36 °
07'-36 ° 51 ' latitude), Qingyang Prefecture of Gansu Province, China. Huachi is located in
the eastern part of Gansu Province, bordered on the northeast of Zhidan, Wuqi, Dingbian of
Shanxi Province, near Qingcheng, Huanxian, Heshui of Gansu Province. Huachi is 3776 km2,
with cultivated land 85.9×10 4mu, representing 15.2% of the total area. Per capita cropland is
＊
7.6 mu , of which mountains are 73.39×104 mu, plateau are 5.3×104 mu, Chuandi are
7.2×104 mu.Huachi County which was divided into 3 towns, 12 townships, has 132,700
people with population density of 35.1 persons per square kilometer. With adverse natural
conditions, poor agricultural conditions, Huachi was a typical agricultural county with
serious soil erosion. The "poor people, poor soil, poor environment" phenomenon was
particularly evident in here.
1.1.1 Natural Conditions
Huachi County belongs to the hills-gully area of the Loess Plateau. Forest and vegetation
distributed out of balance, topography is higher from south to north, the precipitations in the east
are more than the west, the temperatures are higher from north to south, the winter is longer than
the summer, the frosty period is longer, and natural disasters frequently occurred in here.
Huachi has undulating hills, interchanging gullies, crisscrossed ravines, an altitude of
1,100-1,780m, rugged terrain, slopes greater than 15°are accounted for 69.27%, steep slopes
greater than 25°, accounting for 34% of the total area. A great deal of slopes are not conductive
to plant and to maintain water and fertility, with barren soil, nutrient deficiency, and low organic
matter, so cultivated lands have low yield and the number of basic farmland is less.
The average annual rainfall is 498 mm, accounting for 61% of the annual total rainfall,
highly concentrates in 7, 8, 9 months. The total surface water is 1.022×108m3, water
resource per capita of 800.4m3 is far below national average of 2,500m3 and the province's
per capita level of 1300m 3. Water per unit farmland of 108.3m3 is far lower than the national
level of 1,826m3 per mu and the province’s level of 600m3 per mu. Water resource is very
poor, the total water runoff of four rivers, such as Yuancheng River, Rouyuan River,
Chenghao River, Erjiang River, is above 400×104m3 in the county.
1.1.2 Socio-economic Conditions
At the end of 2005, the distribution of rural roads came up to 75.5%, 98.3% of households
could make use of electricity, the popularization rate of telephone reached 9.5 to 100 people, the
forest coverage rate came to 18.6%. The radio and television coverage level was respectively 86%
and 89%, savings deposits of urban and rural households attained 467 million yuan, living space
in urban areas is 12km2 per capita, 10% of households lived in brick houses. In 2006, the GDP
was 535 million, the agricultural value-added was 166 million, of which 71.2 thousand tons of
grain output, and per capita net income of 1835.28 yuan. Livestock output reached 81.26 million
yuan, 720 yuan of per capita accounted for 42% of net income of rural people in the county.
1.2 Main policies of the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland
In order to make the project to reconvert cropland to forest or pasture towards standardization
and legalization, the state promulgated a series of policies and regulations, policy papers of project
management and technical requirements, such as "Returning cropland to forest and grassland
Ordinance" (Chinese State Council Act No. 367, [2002]), "Suggestions of The State Council:
Perfecting the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland measures" (The State Council No.10
[2002]), "Suggestions of The State Council: Improving the pilot work of conversion of cropland to
forest and grassland" (The State Council No. 24 file [2002]), "Circular on improving grain subsidy
method of returning cropland to forest and grassland" (The State Council Office No. 34 [2004]).
Main policies of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland in Huachi
County are as followed:
(1) Grain and cash subsidy policy: The standard of grain subsidy was 1500 kg and cash
subsidy was 300 yuan per hectare each year. At 2004, grain subsidy changed into cash subsidy,
and cash subsidy was 2,400 yuan per hectare. Subsidy periods of planting grass, economic forest
and ecological forest were respectively two years, five years, eight years. When subsidy periods
are due, the state will prolong subsidy period in accordance with farmers’ income.
(2) Saplings and afforestation subsidy policy: The saplings and afforestation subsidy
standard of converting farmland, barren hill and wasteland was 750 yuan per hectare. The not
contracted and fallow slopes were not included in the extent of cash and grain subsidy policy of
returning farmland to forest and grassland, but they were suitable to plant forest and grassland, the
standard of saplings and reforestation subsidy was 750 yuan per hectare. The forestry sector
unified to buy seeds and provided free seeds and saplings to farmers.
(3) The policy of reducing and exempting the agricultural tax: From the starting year of
returning farmland to forest and grassland, if the farmlands were in the extent of agricultural tax,
when grain subsidy came up to the level of the preceding yield of farmland, the state excluded the
agricultural tax, then handed out subsidy to farmers. If grain subsidy didn’t reach the level of the
preceding yield of farmland, the state correspondingly reduced the agricultural tax. The preceding
yield of farmland was calculated on the average of five years' yield of farmland. The cash subsidy
to farmers was not included in the grain subsidy standard. If the farmland wasn't in the extent of
agriculture tax, no matter how much the preceding yield, the state didn’t impose agricultural tax to
farmers. When grain subsidy was end, the state would not impose agricultural tax any more.
(4) The deadline of the rural land under household responsibility managing rights after
converting farmland，barren hills and wasteland to forest was extended to 50 years, and the rural
land under household responsibility managing rights can be inherited, transferred. When the rural
land under household responsibility managing rights was due, farmers who returned farmland to
forest can continue to undertake the contract on the basis of applicable laws and regulations.
1.3 The overview of the implementation of the conversion of cropland to forest and
grassland in Huachi County
The local government adopted the method of “planting forest in spring, and replanting forest
in the rainy and autumn season” in line with natural conditions. The specific implementation of
returning farmland to forest was shown in Table 1, Figure 1: In 1998, cultivated land was
1.01million mu. So far, the area of afforestation is 465,000 mu, the area of grassland came up to
66,000 mu, and cultivated land is 859,000 mu in Huachi County.
180000
160000
140000
returning cropland
afforestation
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
1999
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Fig.1 The area of returning farmland to forest in Huachi County from 1999 to 2009
Through the effective implementation of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, the
slopes with exceeding 25degrees gradually decreased, soil erosion and desertification were
contained, the ecological environment was greatly improved, the phenomenon of "water didn’t go
down to the mountains, the soil didn’t go out of land" during the rainy season basically realized,
and the implementation of returning cropland to forest and grassland played a role in protecting
soil and water conservation. At the same time, driven by the ecological restoration project, the
areas of forest and grassland were rapidly expanded, the technique of house feeding was gradually
promoted, and the agricultural structure and the animal husbandry structure were constantly
adjusted. In addition, the outcomes of ecological restoration project made rural surplus rural labor
transfer outside in the rational and orderly manner, reduced the population pressure in the fragile
ecological areas and improved the living and production conditions of farmers
[1]
.
Table 1 The implementation of returning cropland to forest and grassland in the towns of Huachi County from 1999 to 2008
(Unit: mu)
Year
1999
2002
2003
2004
Returning
2005
2008
afforestation
afforestation
afforestation
30000
10000
Returning
Returning
cropland
cropland
Total
13425.6
35000
70000
60000
153330
6000
91000
44000
74000
1500
11500
Yelue
1337.76
3987
12683
11200
27400
522
14022
7183
20982
605
1603
Chenghao
2395.95
1154
4540
2000
6670
381
13381
2821
8591
Wujiao
2539.29
5934
10134
11900
29300
1050
11050
6061
11781
Shangliyuan
386.44
1715
2633
2000
6550
300
4300
1719
3924
Wangzuizi
251.88
1502
2500
2000
6970
270
3270
2495
2495
Yuancheng
1026.23
3209
4524
5500
13640
249
4749
820
820
Baima
328.16
904.3
2709
193
5193
639
639
afforestation
cropland
Returning
2007
Town name
afforestation
Returning
2006
afforestation
cropland
Returning
afforestation
cropland
cropland
Huaian
635.96
729.7
2530
7000
17000
390
5890
3700
4765
Qiaochuan
597.98
5243
7357
6000
15000
410
4910
5082
5082
Rouyuan
819.21
3568
7758
7000
17000
963
8963
4978
6419
Qiaohe
668.69
1412
2554
5400
13800
273
4273
3309
3309
Shanzhuang
882.49
2328
3518
330
3830
1896
1896
Nanliang
301.64
477
1535
90
1590
1160
1160
Linzhen
531.99
1571
2709
95
1595
1050
1050
Zifang
721.93
1266
2316
484
3984
1087
1087
Note: Data from Huachi Forestry Office
3981
6862
3562
500
500
694
10000
395
4722
1440
3368
6208
2393
6167
2. Investigation and Analysis of policy of the conversion of cropland
to forest and grassland
In September 2009, the author conducted the household questionaire surveys of the
implementation of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland project in Rouyuan, Yuele,
Chenghao, Qiaohe, Zifang 86 households, 7 towns of Huachi County, and had a discussion with
the personnel of Forestry Administration, Livestock Bureau, Grain Bureau and other relevant
village cadres. The author analyzed in depth the impact of policy of conversion of cropland to
forest and grassland from different respects, such as the overview of the implementation of
conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, farmers' views of subsidy policy and farmers’
income before and after the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland.
2.1 The survey results of participating households’ attitudes toward the conversion of
cropland to forest and grassland
From the survey, farmers held in favor of the policy of conversion of cropland to forest and
grassland. When it came to the policy, many farmers evaluated that "Returning cropland to forest
and grassland was very good", " Returning cropland to forest and grassland was a good thing,"
"The national policy was good" and so on, even some of them expressed to have a regret, because
their lands were not required to enroll in the land conversion programme.
In response to the issue of "whether farmers were willing to convert cropland to forest and
grassland", we found that farmers were pleased to convert cropland, and the main incentives were
that national subsidies and the preferential policies, the reduction of labor force, to engage in
sideline production, to work outside the home, to develop intensive farming, response to national
calls.
For "whether farmers were aware of the policy of conversion of cropland to forest and
grassland", the survey discovered that 38.37 % of farmers had a deep knowledge of the policies of
cash subsidy, saplings subsidy, the policy of reducing and exempting the agricultural tax and the
area of converting cropland, but they had not very understanding of the policies of subsidy period,
no cash subsidy of the excess area. 53.49 % of households indicated that they had a little
understanding of the policy. 8.14 % of farmers expressed that they didn’t quite understand about
the policy, the reason were that lack of information channels and farmers' low cultural qualities
(Fig.a).
In connection with "if farmers were satisfied with subsidy policy",46.74 % of farmers were
satisfied with subsidy policy, 50 % of them were not very satisfied with it , the number of farmers
who were not very satisfied with it was 1.63 %. The number of farmers who were dissatisfied with
it accounted 1.63%. The reasons of the latter two cases were that the little the area of converting
land, the less subsidy they got, and the yield of the remaining farmland was not high (Fig.b).
60.00%
60.00%
53.49%
50.00%
50.00%
40.00%
38.37%
50%
40.00%
30.00%
30.00%
20.00%
20.00%
8.14%
10.00%
10.00%
0%
0.00%
很了解
较了解
不太了解
46.51%
30.23%
23.26%
钱
粮食
Fig. c The ways of subsidy
都一样
1.63%
1.63%
不太满意
不满意
0.00%
很满意
不了解
Fig. a The understanding of subsidy policy
50.00%
45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
46.74%
较满意
Fig. b The satisfaction of subsidy policy
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
95%
5%
够吃
不够吃
Fig. d Supply and demand of grain ration at present
Fig.2 Farmers’ attitudes toward the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland
For "the ways of subsidy", 23.26 % of farmers expressed their willingness to cash subsidy,
because they had sufficient grain to meet their own needs. 30.23 % of them hoped to get grain, the
reasons of which were that they didn’t produce enough grain to satisfy their needs, and they could
grow other economic crops instead of grain crops. 46.51 % of households thought that cash
subsidy was the same as grain subsidy. Due to a large area of returning farmland and low grain
output, grain ration was still the biggest problem of farmers in Huachi County. Meanwhile, when
talked the change from grain subsidy to cash subsidy, farmers thought that when the price of grain
was low, the state subsidized grain to farmers. In the opposite case, the state subsidized cash to
them, and the cash subsidy bought less grain. In 1999, the state subsidized 100 kg of grain per mu
every year, the total subsidy was 140 yuan under the national grain price of 0.7 yuan per mu. In
2008, the subsidy was 174 yuan under the national grain price of 0.87 yuan per mu, the difference
was 34 yuan between 1999 and 2008. From the above analysis, we found that as the rational
economic men, farmers were dissatisfied when the policy was against their interests (Fig.c).
For the issue of "farmers’ supply and demand of grain ration at present ", 95 % of households
said that the grain subsidy and their own grain could meet their needs, 5 % of them said that they
didn’t have enough grain to eat, owing to the unreasonable planting proportion between grain
crops and economic crops. At present, with the guarantee of the basic cost of living allowances
and the improvement of social attitudes, farmers can arrange the planting structure of grain crop，
economic crops and oil-bearing crops according to their own situations, and the range of the
adjustment of the planting structure gradually expanded (Fig.d).
2.2 The impact of the policy of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland on
farmers
Since 1999 to now, what impact the policy of conversion cropland to forest and grassland
brought to farmers? We evaluated and analyzed the changes of farmers' production structure, grain
production and net per capita income three aspects.
2.2.1 The change of farmers' production structure
The conversion of cropland to forest and grassland was contributed to alleviate some surplus
agricultural products and increase the scarce agricultural products by the reallocation of
agricultural resources. It was also contributed to enhance the efficiency of adjusting the
agricultural structure via the reasonable investment and management. After returning cropland to
forest and grassland, due to the reduction of arable land, the agricultural structure had been
adjusted, and the changes of the agricultural structure were that the adjustment of the planting
structure, the restructure of breeding which was the base of the development of animal husbandry
and increased families’ income, and the redistribution of surplus labor force which could
accelerate urbanization of rural population and adjust the labor structure [2].
Table 2 Changes of agricultural structure before and after the conversion of cropland to
forest and grassland in Huachi County
Unit: mu, head
before the cropland conversion (1998）
after the cropland conversion (2008）
Town
name
grain
economic
grass
timber
oil-bearing
grain
economic
grass
timber
oil-bearing
crops
crops
crops
crops
crops
Yuele
41410
8650
2008
1500
3162
47510
11520
5300
3900
crops
3819
Qiaohe
25658
1515
1738
2430
2025
32250
6500
1100
6603
1350
Linzhen
10468
3145
-
-
1972
4095
2900
0
1200
2170
(Note: Data from the Statistical Yearbooks in Huachi County)
2.2.2 The impact of policy of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland on grain
production
The impact of the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland on grain yield and even the
grain security was concerned by all sectors of the community. The trends of total grain yield and
yield per unit in Huachi County from 1998 to 2008 were shown in Fig. 3. The grain yield had
declined from 1998 to 2000, reached the minimum at 2000. The grain yield increased from 2001
to 2005, the yield declined between 2006 and 2007, and the output rebound in 2008. Except for
2004, the changes of yield per unit were the same as the total grain yield. The drop of grain yield
was due to the reduction of cultivated land area. The reason of the ascent of grain yield was that
farmers did intensive cultivation and increased the input of the existing cultivated land, such as the
use of fertilizers and plastic film mulch.
3000.00
2500.00
70000
60000
50000
2000.00
1500.00
40000
30000
20000
kg/ha
1000kg
90000
80000
1000.00
500.00
10000
0
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07
20
08
0.00
the total output of grain
the per unit area yield of grain
Fig.3 The changes of grain yield and yield per unit in Huachi County
In a word, the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland policy had a certain impact on
the increasing grain yield. The direct influence was the national subsidy, and the degree of the
influences depended on the size of returning cropland to forest and grassland. The indirect impact
manifested in the planting income and livestock income of farmers. And the conversion of
cropland to forest and grassland had little effect on grain security of Huachi County, this stemmed
from abundant cultivated land resources and the increase of yield per unit. The drought climate
and complex terrain restrained grain production.
2.2.3 The impact of the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland on farmers’ income
Fig.4 The climatic zones of Huachi County
According to the vast territory, complicated climate and diverse soil conditions of Huachi
County, we divided the 3 towns, 12 townships into the cool- drying zone in the northwest,
including Qiaochuan, Yuancheng, Baima, Huai'an, Dianmiao, Qiaohe, Zifang 7 towns, the
moderate semi-dry and wet zone in the south-central, including Chenghao, Yuele, Wangzuizi,
Shangliyuan, Wujiao, Rouyuan, and the cool semi-humid zone in the east, including Linzhen,
Nanliang, Shanzhuang (Fig.4). The survey results revealed that the degrees of net per capita
income growth of farmers in the three zones were different during the period of conversion of
cropland to forest and grassland. This paper chose a typical town from each zone to illustrate the
impact of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland on farmers’ net per capita income.
Table.3 The net per capita incomes in three regions of Huachi County
Unit: yuan per person
Name
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Qiaohe
1068.69
990.00
1078.30
1200.30
1313.98
1334
1283.85
1355.53
1553.10
1593
Yuele
1109.29
1115.00
1107.10
1216.20
1477.59
1695
2295.14
2268.37
2337.69
2787
Linzhen
1106.80
1134.12
1186.12
1339.30
1464.93
1634
2742.00
2877.61
2415.77
2806
(Note: Data from the Statistical Yearbooks in Huachi County)
The table 3 indicated that the implementation of conversion of cropland to forest and
grassland increased farmers’ income and brought them direct economic benefit. This was a great
significance to ensure the implementation of the policy and to maintain the achievements of the
project. And drawing on the data of net per capital income between 1998 and 2008, we calculated
net per capita incomes of Qiaohe Town, Yuele Town and Linzhen Town were respectively
increased by 32.91%, 60.20% and 60.56%.
(1)The cool-drying zone in the northwest
The area of the cool-drying zone in the northwest is 1315 km2, accounting for 34.2 % of the
total area, with the elevation of 1227-1781.6 m. Due to undulating hills, deep valleys and steep
slopes, sparse vegetation, large surface run-off, the zone is the most serious soil erosion region.
The main sources of income were the national subsidy and off-farm income. And owing to the
poor natural conditions, low and unstable grain yield, the crop production income was small, so
the growth of farmers’ net per capita income is slower than two other zones.
(2) The moderate semi- dry and wet zone in the south-central
The area of the moderate semi-dry zone is 1258 km2, accounting for 32.7% of the total area,
with the elevation of 1100-1630 m. Topography is higher from south to north. The area has a
variety of landforms, such as mountains, plain and plateau. Loose and fertile soil is suitable for the
agricultural development. This area is the main farming and high-yield zone. The main sources of
income were the national subsidy, off-farm income and crop production income. With the
improved planting conditions and increasing agricultural inputs, the growth of farmers’ net per
capita income was greater.
(3) The cool semi-humid zone in the east
The area of the cool semi-humid zone is 1270 km2, accounting for 33.1% of the total area,
with lower mountains, gentle slopes, lush forest and grass, fertile soil and good water, superior
ecological conditions, so the area is suitable for planting tree and grass, is the only natural
secondary forest region, and is the most humid area of the county. Besides farmers were entitled to
received grain subsidy and cash subsidy by implementing the conversion of cropland to forest and
grassland, they had extra energy to engage in the livestock production, other business and off-farm
work. Therefore, farmers’ net per capita income had been significantly increased.
2.3 The impact of policy of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland on the
mechanism of increasing farmers’ income
The policy of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland heightened farmers’ labor
enthusiasm, improved the planting structure, and expanded the range of planting grasses and
feeding livestock and so on. The main reasons of the growth of farmers’ per capita income were as
followed:
2.3.1 The benefits after the cropland conversion was larger than the opportunity cost of farming
The policy, of which the state provided grain subsidy, cash subsidy and saplings subsidy to
farmers, received their support in Huachi County. They generally agreed that the national
subsidies were more cost-effective than the farming income. The lands with slope exceeding 15
degrees were converted, and the steep slopes which were planted wheat, flax, corn, millet before
the conversion had barren soil, very low yield.
With maize as an example, drawing on the statistics from the office of Huachi County, the
average yield of maize which were planted on the slopes was 1125 kg per ha, the market price was
1.6 yuan per kg, so the value was 1800 yuan per ha. And the expenses of planting grain accounted
for 22.91% of total agricultural income in 1998, the planting cost was 412.35 yuan per ha. The
difference was 1387.65 yuan per ha. After the land was converted to forest (grassland), farmers
got grain 3,000 kg per ha and cash subsidy of 300 yuan per ha during the period of grain and cash
subsidy, the market price was 1.6 yuan per kg, so the income was 4,800 yuan, which was more
[2]
3412.35 yuan than the income of planting maize .
We only took the planting grass income an example to analyze farmers' direct income after the
conversion of cropland to forest and grassland. Planting alfalfa was basically no income in the first
year, and it produced 9000 kg per hectare per year at the second year, the market price was 0.12
yuan, so the value was 1080 yuan. And the indirect income was the time of planting grass needed
135 labor time per ha, and the time of planting grain needed 397.5 labor time per ha, so after the
conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, this could save 262.5 labor time per ha, and the
off-farm income reached 4237.5 yuan[3][4].From the above analysis, the annual average net income
per hectare was 5317.5 yuan from the grass income and off-farm income.
It was be seen from this, compared to the income before and after the conversion of cropland
to forest and grassland, the sum of the national subsidy, grass income and off-farm income with
the grain income was 5404.99 yuan, which was more than the grain income. The three zones
enrolled the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland project, and the cool-drying zone in the
northwest had rich land resources and the largest area of the cropland conversion, so the local
farmers obtained more national subsidies and income of animal husbandry than the others.
2.3.2 To increase farmers’ income by transferring surplus labor force to animal husbandry, the
secondary and tertiary industries
The implementation of returning cropland to forest and grassland not only made families have
the reliable grain supply, but also made a part of labor force free from agricultural production to
engage in animal husbandry, export of labor services, social services. Huachi County completed
3100 ha of the cropland conversion, according to each labor operated 0.667 of arable land, so this
could save 4650 of rural labor force. From the survey results, the different surplus labor force were
depended on the extent of the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, and more than 95%
of male labor force worked out of home and engaged in other sidelines, female labor force farmed
and fed cattle, sheep at home[5].
2.3.3 The impact of geographic conditions on increasing farmers’ income
Good geographic conditions, such as mature market condition, abundant resources, rich labor,
and convenient traffic condition, played a great role in promoting the growth of farmers’ income.
For example, compared to the cool-drying zone in the northwest, the reason of the growth of
farmers’ net per capita income between the moderate semi-dry and wet zone in the south-central
and the cool semi-humid zone in the east was due to the good geographic conditions. The
moderate semi-dry and wet zone in the south-central is the center of Huachi County with
convenient traffic condition and mature market condition which was facilitated market
transactions for farmers. The cool semi-humid zone in the east is the forest and agricultural
production area and the red revolution scenic spot area, in which farmers have a lot of
opportunities to develop the local economy. The cool semi-humid zone in the northwest is the
remote mountain area with poor traffic condition and lack of mature market condition, which is
not conducive to increase farmers' income.
As can be seen from above analysis, the impact of the implementation of conversion of
cropland to forest and grassland on farmers was real and far-reaching. It not only affected farmers’
economic income and grain production, but also had impact on farmers’ attitudes toward the
establishment of rural market. Farmers had been under the previous ways of production and life
for decades or even longer before the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, had their
own familiar habits of production and life, and had stable families’ income and expenditure
structure, but the implementation of the policy broke the traditional ways and habits, and broke the
previous economic cycle, so farmers must change their ideas and must take measures to adapt the
new production and lifestyle.
3. The problems which existed in the conversion of cropland to forest and
grassland policy and the corresponding recommendations
The conversion of cropland to forest and grassland is by no means a simple question of
converting farmland and afforestation, is also an issue of changing the cultivation system, and
changing farmers’ lifestyle and changing the mode of rural economic operation. Farmers are the
main body and of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, and the decision-makers of
sustainable development of it, so the interests of farmers are the core of supporting to convert
cropland to forest and grassland.
3.1 Subsidy policy existed flaws.
In the short term, with the support of the national subsidy policy, participating farmers’ net
income was not lower than the no-participating farmers’ net income, but the period of subsidy
policy is a time-limited. If according to the national plan which was that the subsidy policy was
end in 5-8 years, the ecological environment would not be markedly deteriorated, but due to the
impact of supply and demand, the prices of agricultural products manifested as fluctuations in the
long term. If the prices of agricultural products continued to rise, the planting income would
increase, and it would induce the behavior of pursuing short-term market returns for farmers, and
further would threaten the outcomes of returning cropland to forest and grassland. Therefore, the
subsidy policy could only alleviate the impact of the conversion of cropland to forest and
grassland on farmers’ net planting income in the short time, while considering the sustainability of
the project, the state should take a long-term follow-up support policies to protect the stability of
the project’ outcomes .
Recommendations: On the term of the policy of the follow-up industrial development, we
proposed to cut out of funds of returning farmland to forest and grasslands, anti-poverty funds and
funds to support agriculture to absorb corporate shares and establish the follow-up industry
development funds, or the government encouraged and supported farmers and business to develop
the follow-up industry by providing small loans to farmers and providing fixed and working
capital loans to business in order to enhance the capacity of the regional economic development.
Meanwhile, the government should improve regional market information service to provide timely
and effective market information to farmers and should weak the market risk of the follow-up
industrial development and improve the capacity of the policy services by the indemnification of
stable policies.
3.2 The speed of transferring surplus labor force was slow.
The conversion of cropland to forest and grassland shouldered the responsibilities of
ecological improvement and poverty alleviation, and the key of improving ecological environment
and increasing their income was to transfer the population which exceeded the supply capacity of
the land. From 1999 to now, although farmers’ off-farm income showed an upward trend, but the
absolute added value of the off-farm income didn’t show more prominent advantage, this indicated
the main objective of increasing farmers’ income by the adjustment of industrial structure was not
completely realized and also indicated the surplus labor force wasn’t effectively transferred. After
the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, due to the reduction of cropland, it was no
doubt to liberate more labor force. Although the part of the surplus labor force could engage in
planting grass and trees, the relevant studies showed that the time of using to plant grass and trees
was less 1/3 than the time of using to grow grain, and even if the surplus labor added to the
remaining land, under the circumstances that the agricultural technology and the mode of
agricultural production, the additional benefits were little, even invalid. So the implementation of
the project, to a large extent, reduced farmers’ marginal productivity. If we didn’t take steps to
transfer the surplus labor, farmers could not meet their interests and their demands in the long term,
this would affect the sustainability of the project and social stability.
Recommendations: On the one hand, a regional non-agricultural job market was built by the
follow-up industry’ development to increase farmers’ income and change agricultural resources’
advantages into economic advantages, on the other hand, the government should increase the
intensity of transferring the surplus labor, to increase farmers’ marginal labor value by the
technical training. Meanwhile, by the support of the policy, to improve the labor market, to abolish
the restrictions of transferring farmers to urban, to weaken the urban-rural dual structure, and to
guide the surplus labor to the eastern region in which the economy was developed to engage in
agriculture and non-agricultural industries. The effective transfer of the surplus labor not only
increased farmers’ income, but also alleviated the population pressure on the resources to achieve
ecological goals.
3.3 The input of the scientific technology wasn’t enough.
Huachi County locates in the remote mountainous areas with fragile ecological environments,
inconvenient traffic conditions and the cultural quality of the farmers there is relatively low. After
the implementation of conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, due to lack of experience in
planting forest and lack of technical support, we found that the survival rate of forest was closely
related to the choice of suitable seed in the survey, and most of economic forest and ecological
forest were hard to survive, and the time of timber was beyond the subsidy period, these would
make farmers would face considerable risk. As the risk-averse investors, the vast number of
farmers were likely to make choices which were disadvantage of the sustainable development of
returning cropland to forest and grassland, so in the follow-up development of the project, how we
should increase the input of scientific technologies to make farmers a rational forecasts of the
future interests and enhance farmers’ conscious activities, would be another key of the sustainable
development of returning cropland to forest and grassland project [7].
Recommendations: In the follow-up development of the project, the government should
increase the support of scientific technology, strengthen the trainings and advocacies for farmers,
and enhance farmers’ quality and technology mastery. We should encourage and support scientific
and technical personnel to carry out technical advices, technical trainings, technology shares and
paid technology services at the grassroots by establishing a complete set of technical service
system, and directly engage in the development of cropland. The establishment of scientific and
technological support mechanisms could weaken farmers’ technical risk, increase their self-health
and self-development capacities, and promote the sustainable development of the project.
References:
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Master's thesis, China Agricultural University, 2006, 6, 56-59
[2] Jia Weiguo, Study of the Sustainability of the policy of Grain for Green in China, PhD thesis,
Nanjing Forestry University, 2005, 6, 55-60
[3] Zhang Xiaoyan, Yang Gaihe, Study of the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland in
Northwest China, Beijing Science Press,2005,2
[4]Xing Xiaofang, Yang Defu, The survey of the household income after the conversion of
cropland to forest, 2003,3,31
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thesis, China Agricultural University,2007,6
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