Skip Navigation Links
Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management
António Mendes Lopes (editor), Jiazhong Zhang(editor)
António Mendes Lopes (editor)

University of Porto, Portugal

Email: aml@fe.up.pt

Jiazhong Zhang (editor)

School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China

Fax: +86 29 82668723 Email: jzzhang@mail.xjtu.edu.cn


Rural Transformation: The challenge of Sustainable Agriculture, Environmental Pollution, Urban-Rural Income Inequality and Ageing Rural Population

Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management 13(1) (2025) 1--12 | DOI:10.5890/JEAM.2025.03.001

John\_CG Lee$^1$, Eko Ganis Sukoharsono$^2$

$^1$ The Renmin University of China, 59 Zhongguancun St, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China

$^2$ Universitas Brawijaya, Gedung Rektorat Lantai 1, Jalan Veteran, Malang, 65145, Indonesia

Download Full Text PDF

 

Abstract

In recent time China rural sector has made remarkable achievements but is facing major new challenges. As a signatory of the UN SDG's and the Paris Climate Accord, China is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and achieving net zero carbon emission by 2050. The four new sets of challenges are 1) sustainable agriculture, 2) environmental pollution, 3) urban-rural income inequality, 4) depopulation and underdevelopment of the rural region. This study aims to explore and analyses the rural transformation processes in the case of Jilin province, North-East China with respect of these four challenges. A qualitative approach was adopted, involving focus group discussions (FGD) and the data is derived from thirty-two participants recruited then divided into two groups of equal number for separate FGD and thematic analysis to examine the data. The results of the study are, in the context of sustainable agriculture and environmental pol-lution, current farming practices are traditional, highly prone to diseases outbreak, polluting the soil and waterway. Income gap remains significant as measured by the urban-rural income ratio but has been decreasing since 2013.This study finds whilst past and present government policies and ef-forts have improved farm incomes, agricultural production and rural living, it has not reversed the mass migration of the young and able-bodies to the urban and thus the rural remain hollowed out. On a case-to-case basis, the finding of this study is generalizable for policymakers and stakeholders facing identical or similar challenges. [1,2]

References

  1. [1]  Firestone, W.A. (1993), Alternative arguments for generalizing from data as applied to qualitative research, Educational Researcher, 22(4), 16-23.
  2. [2]  Myers, M. (2000), Qualitative research and the generalizability question: Standing firm with Proteus, The Qualitative Report, 4(3/4), 1-9.
  3. [3]  World Bank (2022), Lifting 800 Million People Out of Poverty–New Report Looks at Lessons from China's Experience, Press Release.
  4. [4]  UNDP (2022), UNDP Issue Brief, 22(4).
  5. [5]  Huang, H. (2020), Learning from exploratory rural practices of the Yangtze River Delta in China: New initiatives, networks and empowerment shifts, and sustainability, Journal of Rural Studies, 77, 63-74.
  6. [6]  Li, Y., Jia, L., Wu, W., Yan, J., and Liu, Y. (2018), Urbanization for rural sustainability–Rethinking China's urbanization strategy, Journal of Cleaner Production, 178, 580-586.
  7. [7]  Huang, J. and Yang, G. (2017), Understanding recent challenges and new food policy in China, Global Food Security, 12, 119-126.
  8. [8]  Zhang, M.N. (2023), `China Carbon Committment', China US Focus, May 27, 2021. Accessed: May 07, 2023. Available: https://www.chinausfocus.com/energy-environment/chinas-carbon-commitment.
  9. [9]  Zhang, Y., Long, H., Li, Y., Tu, S., and Jiang, T. (2021), Non-point source pollution in response to rural transformation development: a comprehensive analysis of China's traditional farming area, Journal of Rural Studies, 83, 165-176.
  10. [10]  Mo, Y., Sun, D., and Zhang, Y. (2023), Green finance assists agricultural sustainable development: evidence from China, Sustainability, 15(3), 2056.
  11. [11]  Lee, C.G. (2023), Lean It Right! Food Safety: Farm to Food, Second. Singapore, 2011. Accessed: May 03, 2023. Available: www.nlb.gov.sg/biblio/14040743.
  12. [12]  Lam, H.M., Remais, J., Fung, M.C., Xu, L., and Sun, S.S.M. (2013), Food supply and food safety issues in China, The Lancet, 381(9882), 2044-2053.
  13. [13]  Liu, C. (2014), Population ageing in Hollow Villages: a perspective from urban rural restructuring in China, TERRITORIO, (2014/69).
  14. [14] Zang, Y., Liu, Y., Yang, Y., Woods, M., and Fois, F. (2020), Rural decline or restructuring? Implications for sustainability transitions in rural China, Land Use Policy, 94, p.104531.
  15. [15]  Lee, J.C.G.and Ching, A.O.K. (2015), China New Normal: Challenges \& Opportunities. Singapore.
  16. [16]  China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, `Plan for Digital Agriculture and Rural Development (2019-2025)', 2020, Accessed: May 07, 2023. Available: https://english.www.gov.cn/statecouncil/ministries/202109/08/content \_WS61386c3bc6d0df57f98dfddf.html
  17. [17]  China MARA, `Green Development Plan for Agriculture', 2021, Accessed: May 07, 2023. Available: https://english.www.gov.cn/statecouncil/ministries/202109/08/content\_WS61386c3bc6d0df57f98dfddf.html
  18. [18]  Onwuegbuzie, A.J., Dickinson, W.B., Leech, N.L. and Zoran, A.G. (2009), A qualitative framework for collecting and analyzing data in focus group research, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8(3), 1-21.
  19. [19]  Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006), Using thematic analysis in psychology, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
  20. [20]  Joy, E., Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2023), Doing reflexive thematic analysis: A reflexive account. Research Methods for Education and the Social Disciplines in Aotearoa New Zealand. NZCER Press: New Zealand.
  21. [21]  Hennink, M.M., Kaiser, B.N., and Marconi, V.C. (2017), Code saturation versus meaning saturation: how many interviews are enough?, Qualitative Health Research, 27(4), 591-608.
  22. [22]  Vatn, A. (2018), Environmental governance–from public to private?, Ecological Economics, 148, 170-177.
  23. [23]  Wang, X. and Raymo, J. (2021), The great migration and the urban-rural divide: lonely life expectancy in China, Innovation in Aging, 5(Suppl 1), p.37.
  24. [24]  Tao, Z. (2013), The Farmers Willingness of Rural Land Usufruct Securitization and Its Impact Factors Based on the Questionnaire Survey of 11 Typical Villages in Chongqing, China Population, Resources and Environment, 2013.
  25. [25]  Lee, C.G.J. and Hoang, D.N. (2020), Sustainable Agriculture. UN Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Emergency, Second. Ho Chi Ming City.
  26. [26]  Fereday, J., Adelaide, N., Australia, S., and Eimear Muir-Cochrane, A. (2006), Demonstrating Rigor Using Thematic Analysis: A Hybrid Approach of Inductive and Deductive Coding and Theme Development.
  27. [27]  Fereday, J. and Muir-Cochrane, E. (2006), Demonstrating rigor using thematic analysis: A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(1), 80-92.
  28. [28]  Parkin, S. and Kimergard, A. (2022), A critical analysis of respondent quotes used as titles of qualitative research papers that are published in peer-reviewed journals, Accountability in Research, 29(2), 109-132.