IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/caerpp/v3y2011i2p224-244.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Specialty products, rural livelihoods and agricultural marketing reforms in China

Author

Listed:
  • Colin Brown
  • Scott Waldron
  • John Longworth

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to apply a market efficiency theoretical framework to analyse and postulate solutions to the challenges confronting China in engaging smallholders in higher value, specialty, agricultural product markets. A marketing experiment/trial to test these ideas is evaluated. Design/methodology/approach - The case of fine‐wool marketing is used to illustrate issues associated with specialty product marketing. The market efficiency approach highlights the difficulties involved in relaying accurate product prices and values (exchange efficiency) while aligning the logistical requirements of higher value market segments with the small, dispersed and locationally remote smallholders (operational efficiency). The marketing experiment/trial was conducted in three fine‐wool‐growing counties in Western China in 2008. Findings - The fine‐wool case study highlights that modernization of the marketing system is required not only so that smallholders can access the premium prices potentially available but also to improve international competitiveness. Originality/value - Engaging smallholders in specialty agricultural product markets poses significant challenges for China. The market efficiency approach (exchange efficiency versus operational efficiency) provides a new perspective on these challenges and offers new insights about appropriate policy settings both at a macro‐ and micro‐level.

Suggested Citation

  • Colin Brown & Scott Waldron & John Longworth, 2011. "Specialty products, rural livelihoods and agricultural marketing reforms in China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 3(2), pages 224-244, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:caerpp:v:3:y:2011:i:2:p:224-244
    DOI: 10.1108/17561371111131335
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/17561371111131335/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/17561371111131335/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/17561371111131335?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Huang, Jikun & Rozelle, Scott, 2006. "The emergence of agricultural commodity markets in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 266-280.
    2. Brown, Colin G., 1997. "Chinese wool auctions: Failed agribusiness reform or future marketing channel?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 175-189.
    3. Colin G. Brown, 2008. "Sustainable Development in Western China," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4119.
    4. Colin G. Brown & John W. Longworth, 1992. "Reconciling National Economic Reforms and Local Investment Decisions in China: Fiscal Decentralization and First‐Stage Wool Processing," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 10(4), pages 389-402, December.
    5. Wang, Honglin & Dong, Xiaoxia & Rozelle, Scott & Huang, Jikun & Reardon, Thomas, 2009. "Producing and Procuring Horticultural Crops with Chinese Characteristics: The Case of Northern China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1791-1801, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Colin Brown & Jing Zhang & Deqing Zhuoga & Weisi Baiyang & Lava Yadav, 2021. "Market integration and agricultural development: The case of Tibet's ruminant livestock industries," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(4), pages 818-837, October.
    2. Qu, Lulu & Li, Yurui & Chen, Zongfeng & Huang, Yunxin, 2022. "Exploring the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and influencing factors of gully agricultural production transformation in the Chinese Loess Plateau: A case study of loess hilly and gully regio," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    3. Lulu Qu & Yurui Li & Yunxin Huang & Xuanchang Zhang & Jilai Liu, 2021. "Analysis of the Spatial Variations of Determinants of Gully Agricultural Production Transformation in the Chinese Loess Plateau and Its Policy Implications," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-21, August.
    4. Brown, Colin & Waldron, Scott, 2013. "Agrarian change, agricultural modernization and the modelling of agricultural households in Tibet," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 83-94.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jikun Huang & Jun Yang & Scott Rozelle, 2013. "The Political Economy of Food Pricing Policy in China," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-038, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Scott Waldron & Colin Brown & Adam M. Komarek, 2014. "The Chinese Cashmere Industry: A Global Value Chain Analysis," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 32(5), pages 589-610, September.
    3. Bart Minten & Anneleen Vandeplas & Johan Swinnen, 2011. "Regulations, Brokers, and Interlinkages: The Institutional Organization of Wholesale Markets in India," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(7), pages 864-886, May.
    4. Yunfeng Hu & Batu Nacun, 2018. "An Analysis of Land-Use Change and Grassland Degradation from a Policy Perspective in Inner Mongolia, China, 1990–2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, November.
    5. Jing You & Katsushi S. Imai & Raghav Gaiha, 2014. "Decoding the Growth-Nutrition Nexus in China: Inequality, Uncertainty and Food Insecurity," Discussion Paper Series DP2014-28, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Dec 2014.
    6. Van den Broeck, Goedele & Swinnen, Johan & Maertens, Miet, 2017. "Global value chains, large-scale farming, and poverty: Long-term effects in Senegal," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 97-107.
    7. Huang, Jikun & Wu, Yunhua & Yang, Zhijian & Rozelle, Scott & Fabiosa, Jacinto & Dong, Fengxia, 2012. "Marketing China's milk: A case study of the sales activity of dairy farmers in greater Beijing," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 675-689.
    8. Ding, Shijun & Meriluoto, Laura & Reed, W. Robert & Tao, Dayun & Wu, Haitao, 2011. "The impact of agricultural technology adoption on income inequality in rural China: Evidence from southern Yunnan Province," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 344-356, September.
    9. Maertens, Miet & Swinnen, Johan, 2015. "Agricultural trade and development: A value chain perspective," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2015-04, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    10. Jiani Ma & Chao Zhang & Wenju Yun & Yahui Lv & Wanling Chen & Dehai Zhu, 2020. "The Temporal Analysis of Regional Cultivated Land Productivity with GPP Based on 2000–2018 MODIS Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, January.
    11. Fan, Linlin & Nogueira, Lia & Baylis, Katherine R., 2013. "Agricultural Market Reforms and Nutritional Transition in Rural China," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150203, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Brockhaus, Jan & Huang, Jikun & Hu, Jiliang & Kalkuhl, Matthias & von Braun, Joachim & Yang, Guolei, 2015. "Rice, wheat, and corn supply response in China," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205988, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters,in: Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    14. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    15. Q. Forrest Zhang & John A. Donaldson, 2010. "From Peasants to Farmers: Peasant Differentiation, Labor Regimes, and Land-Rights Institutions in China’s Agrarian Transition," Politics & Society, , vol. 38(4), pages 458-489, December.
    16. Tao Xiang & Jikun Huang & d’Artis Kancs & Scott Rozelle & Jo Swinnen, 2012. "Food Standards and Welfare: General Equilibrium Effects," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(2), pages 223-244, June.
    17. Qi, Haozhi & Wu, Tiantian & Chen, Hao & Lu, Xiuling, 2023. "Time-frequency connectedness and cross-quantile dependence between carbon emission trading and commodity markets: Evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    18. Jing You, 2014. "Dietary change, nutrient transition and food security in fast-growing China," Chapters, in: Raghbendra Jha & Raghav Gaiha & Anil B. Deolalikar (ed.), Handbook on Food, chapter 9, pages 204-245, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Marisol Velazquez, 2014. "Commercialization and consumption of coffee in Mexico," ERSA conference papers ersa14p1681, European Regional Science Association.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eme:caerpp:v:3:y:2011:i:2:p:224-244. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.