Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T18:48:18.928Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Farmer and professional attitudes to the large-scale ban on livestock grazing of grasslands in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2007

S. K. DONG ,
H. W. GAO ,
G. C. XU ,
X. Y. HOU ,
R. J. LONG ,
M. Y. KANG  and
J. P. LASSOIE
S. K. DONG*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
H. W. GAO*
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 100094 Beijing, China
G. C. XU
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resources Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
X. Y. HOU
Affiliation:
Bureau of Science and Technology Management, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 100081 Beijing, China
R. J. LONG
Affiliation:
Pastoral Agricultural College, Lanzhou University, 730020 Lanzhou, China
M. Y. KANG
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resources Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
J. P. LASSOIE
Affiliation:
International Centre for Tibetan Plateau Ecosystem Management, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
*
*Correspondence: Professor Dong Shikui Tel: +86 10 58802078 Fax: +86 10 58800397 e-mail: [email protected]; Dr Gao Hongwen e-mail: [email protected]
*Correspondence: Professor Dong Shikui Tel: +86 10 58802078 Fax: +86 10 58800397 e-mail: [email protected]; Dr Gao Hongwen e-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Grasslands are the most extensive terrestrial landscapes and ecosystems in China and face growing degradation. A policy to protect the grasslands established in 2001 (the Grassland Ban Policy [GBP]), involves four management practices including grazing bans, keeping grasslands fallow, grazing rotations and rearing livestock in sheds. A questionnaire was developed and used to establish attitudes towards and beliefs about the GBP in different sectors (farming households, local officials and extension workers), assess problems with GBP implementation and identify possible solutions. Acceptance of the GBP by farmers varied from 64% in the north to 95% in the north-west region. The responses of both local officials and extension workers indicated that GBP implementation was greater in the central region than in the north-west region. Most farmers changed their livestock production system from grazing to stall feeding after implementation of the GBP, while both farmers and extension workers reported that high input costs were the most serious problem in stall feeding. Incentives need to be provided for sustainable implementation of the GBP by different stakeholders. Improved collaboration among farmers, local officials and extension workers is needed for technology transfer and policy implementation. Furthermore, the role of non-governmental organizations needs to be strengthened in implementation of the GBP.

Keywords

attitudesbeliefsgrassland baninterview
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , September 2007 , pp. 246 - 254
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Banks, T.J., Richard, C., Li, P. & Yan, Z.L. (2003) Community-based grassland management in Western China: rationale, pilot project experience and policy implications. Mountain Research and Development 23 (2): 132–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benjaminsen, T.A., Rohde, R., Sjaastad, E., Wisborg, P. & Lebert, T. (2006) Land reform, range ecology, and carrying capacities in Namaqualand, South Africa. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 96 (3): 24–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dan, Q.M. (2003) Implementing Grassland Ban Policy (GBP) to protect and reconstruct grasslands in Northwest Sichuan, China: an investigation on GBP implementation. Sichuan Animal and Veterinary Science 30 (12): 12–13.Google Scholar
Dillman, D.A. (1978) Mail and Telephone Surveys: the Total Design Method. New York, NY, USA: John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Dong, S.K., Jiang, Y. & Huang, X.X. (2002) Suitability degree of grassland grazing and strategies for pasture management. Resources Science 24 (6): 35–41.Google Scholar
Dong, S.K., Kang, M.Y., Xiong, M. & Liu, X.C. (2005) Analysis on sustainability of policy of turning cultivated land back into forests and grasslands (TCFG) in Loess Plateau Region of China. Journal of Soil Water Conservation 13 (2): 42–45.Google Scholar
Gary, B. (1999) Balancing preservation and logging: public lands policy in British Columbia and the western United States. Policy Studies Journal 27 (2): 307–327.Google Scholar
Gill, N. (2004) Politics within and without: the origins and development of a Rangelands Landcare Group. Australian Geographical Studies 42 (2): 135–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gimenez, F., Maria, E. & Batbuyan, B. (2004) Law and disorder: local implementation of Mongolia's land law. Development and Change 35 (1): 141–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, C. (2006) Actions of Grassland Ban. China Animal Husbandry Bulletin 9: 1–2.Google Scholar
Ho, P. (2000) China's rangelands under stress: a comparative study of pasture commons in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Development and Change 31 (2): 385–412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holechek, J.L. & Hess, K.J. (1995) Government policy influences on rangeland conditions in the United States: a case example Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 37 (1–3): 179–187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huang, D.L. & Wang, J.M. (2004) The analysis of grazing ban policy in China pastoral area. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin 20 (1): 106–109.Google Scholar
Huang, H., Luo, Y.F. & Chen, Z.Y. (2001) SPSS 10.0 for windows: statistic analysis. Beijing, China: People's Posts and Telecommunications Press.Google Scholar
Jan, L. & Kevin, I. (2002) Restricting grazing on federal lands in the west to protect threatened and endangered species: ranch and livestock sector impacts. Review of Agricultural Economics 24 (1): 78–107.Google Scholar
Li, S.Q. (2003) Analysis on the losses of grassland degradation and its strategies of sustainable use in Shanxi province. Journal of Taiyuan Teachers College (Natural Science Edition) 2 (3): 82–86.Google Scholar
Li, Y.M., Yang, T. & Xu, D.Y. (2004) A game analysis of turning breed-lands back into grasslands. Journal of Shanxi Agricultural University (Social Science Edition) 3 (4): 324–327.Google Scholar
Liao, G.F. & Jia, Y.L. (1996) Rangeland Resources of China Beijing, China: China Science and Technology Press.Google Scholar
Mehta, J.N. & Heinen, J.T. (2001) Does community-based conservation shape favorable attitudes among locals? An empirical study from Nepal. Environmental Management 28: 165–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mehta, J.N. & Kellert, S.R. (1998) Local attitudes toward community-based conservation policy and programmes in Nepal: a case study in the Makalu-Barun Conservation Area. Environmental Conservation 25: 320–333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meng, L. & Gao, H.W. (2002) The situation and causes and rehabilitation of degraded grassland in China. In: Progress of Modern Prataculture Science: Proceedings of China International Grassland Conference, ed. F.Z. Hong & J.Z. Ren, pp. 304–308. Beijing, China: Chinese Grassland Society.Google Scholar
Miles, M.B. & Huberman, A.M. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. Second edition. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage.Google Scholar
Nelson, R. (2006) Regulating grassland degradation in China: shallow-rooted laws? Asian-Pacific Law and Policy Journal 7 (2): 385–416.Google Scholar
Salant, P. & Dillman, D.A. (1994) How to Conduct Your Own Survey. New York, NY, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Google Scholar
Su, D.X. (1995) China's rangelands in brief. In: Rangelands in A Sustainable Biosphere: Proceedings of the Fifth International Rangelands Congress, ed. West, N., pp. 537–538. Denver, CO, USA: Society for Range Management.Google Scholar
Swallow, B.M. & Bromley, D.W. (1995) Institutions, governance and incentives in common property regimes for African rangelands. Environmental and Resource Economics 6 (2): 99–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, J.L. (2006) Negotiating the grassland: the policy of pasture enclosures and contested resource use in Inner Mongolia. Human Organization 65 (4): 374–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, X.G. & Li, Y.Q. (1999) Present ecological environment and strategies for management of grassland in Qinghai province, China. Qinghai Pratacultural Science 8 (2): 23–25.Google Scholar
Wang, J.A., Xu, X. & Liu, P.F. (1999) Land use and land carrying capacity in eco-tone between agriculture and animal husbandry in Northern China. Resources Science 21 (5): 19–24.Google Scholar
Williams, D.M. (1997) Grazing the body: violations of land and limb in Inner Mongolia. American Ethnologist 24 (4): 763–785.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, F.J. (2002) Analysis on causes of eco-environmental deterioration in Inner Mongolia grassland region and scientific-technical supporting system for grassland rehabilitation. Scientific Management Research 20 (6): 1–6.Google Scholar
Xu, Z.X. & Li, Y.Q. (2002) Grassland degeneration and soil erosion. In: Progress of Modern Prataculture Science: Proceeding of China International Grassland Conference, ed. Hong, F.Z. & Ren, J.Z., pp. 285–288. Beijing, China: Chinese Grassland Society.Google Scholar
Yang, R.R. (2002) Analysis on the causes of degradation and strategies of sustainable development of grassland in Western China. Prataculture Science 19 (1): 23–27.Google Scholar
Zhang, Z.T., ed. (1991) Science of Grassland Management. Beijing, China: China Agricultural Press.Google Scholar
Zhao, X.Y. & Hou, F.J. (2001) Causes of Grassland Degradation in Heixi and Dingxi regions of Gansu province, China. Pratacultural Science 18 (6): 12–15.Google Scholar
Zhu, J.Z. (2003) Ecological, social and economical perspectives on grassland degradation in Xinjiang. Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences 40 (Suppl.): 61–64.Google Scholar