IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v11y2022i10p1628-d922305.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ecological Civilization in Practice: An Exploratory Study of Urban Agriculture in Four Chinese Cities

Author

Listed:
  • Alesandros Glaros

    (Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada)

  • Geoff Luehr

    (Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada)

  • Zhenzhong Si

    (Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, ON N2L 6C2, Canada)

  • Steffanie Scott

    (Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada)

Abstract

Chinese development priorities have, since 2012, been formally framed under the slogan “Ecological Civilization” (EC). Simultaneously, urban agriculture (UA) has emerged as a potential strategy to contribute to urban food security in China, in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we interrogate EC as an approach to urban and agricultural development in China and explore how EC manifests in practical terms, through a case study of urban agriculture. Over four months, we conducted on-site interviews and surveys with UA practitioners in four Chinese cities to understand how their experiences are negotiated with the state, in the context of EC. We find through our case study that capital-intensive and peri-urban approaches to UA are favoured in the context of EC, while small-scale intra-urban initiatives are actively discouraged in policy but passively accepted in practice and enforcement. This is despite all forms of UA promoting key goals for EC, including beautifying urban areas, increasing the quality of life for urban residents, and reconnecting individuals with food growing culture. Despite novel developments in innovative agricultural practices in both rural and urban contexts, the EC pathway risks overlooking grassroots initiatives and meeting local residents’ needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Alesandros Glaros & Geoff Luehr & Zhenzhong Si & Steffanie Scott, 2022. "Ecological Civilization in Practice: An Exploratory Study of Urban Agriculture in Four Chinese Cities," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:10:p:1628-:d:922305
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/10/1628/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/10/1628/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nathan McClintock & Michael Simpson, 2018. "Stacking functions: identifying motivational frames guiding urban agriculture organizations and businesses in the United States and Canada," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(1), pages 19-39, March.
    2. Nan Wang & Li Zhu & Yuanhao Bing & Liwei Chen & Shulang Fei, 2021. "Assessment of Urban Agriculture for Evidence-Based Food Planning: A Case Study in Chengdu, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Yuan, Yuan & Si, Zhenzhong & Zhong, Taiyang & Huang, Xianjin & Crush, Jonathan, 2021. "Revisiting China’s supermarket revolution: Complementarity and co-evolution between traditional and modern food outlets," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    4. Jiahua PAN, 2018. "Building an Ecological Civilization in the New Era: Cognition, Development Paradigm and Strategic Measures," Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies (CJUES), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(02), pages 1-13, June.
    5. Jean-Yves Heurtebise, 2017. "Sustainability and Ecological Civilization in the Age of Anthropocene: An Epistemological Analysis of the Psychosocial and “Culturalist” Interpretations of Global Environmental Risks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-17, August.
    6. Lily Kiminami & Shinichi Furuzawa & Akira Kiminami, 2022. "Urban Agriculture in Japan and China: Trends and Policies," SpringerBriefs in Economics, in: Social Entrepreneurship, Social Business and the Multi-functionality of Urban Agriculture, chapter 0, pages 29-40, Springer.
    7. Taiyang Zhong & Zhenzhong Si & Jonathan Crush & Steffanie Scott & Xianjin Huang, 2019. "Achieving urban food security through a hybrid public-private food provisioning system: the case of Nanjing, China," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(5), pages 1071-1086, October.
    8. Wei JIANG & Haoran ZHANG, 2020. "Traditional Chinese Culture and the Construction of Ecological Civilization: From Cultural Genes to Practical Behaviors — Case Studies in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism," Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies (CJUES), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 8(02), pages 1-13, June.
    9. Simon Joss & Frans Sengers & Daan Schraven & Federico Caprotti & Youri Dayot, 2019. "The Smart City as Global Discourse: Storylines and Critical Junctures across 27 Cities," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 3-34, January.
    10. Thomas Reardon & C. Peter Timmer & Christopher B. Barrett & Julio Berdegué, 2003. "The Rise of Supermarkets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1140-1146.
    11. Mindi Schneider, 2015. "What, then, is a Chinese peasant? Nongmin discourses and agroindustrialization in contemporary China," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(2), pages 331-346, June.
    12. Hua Zheng & Noriko Akita & Shoko Araki & Masayo Fukuda, 2022. "Provision of Allotment Gardens and Its Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Tokyo, Japan," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-23, February.
    13. Jiahua PAN, 2020. "From Ecological Imbalance to Ecological Civilization: The Process of China’s Green Transformation Over 40 Years of Reform and Opening Up and Its Outlook," Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies (CJUES), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 7(03), pages 1-17, February.
    14. Taiyang Zhong & Jonathan Crush & Zhenzhong Si & Steffanie Scott, 2022. "Emergency food supplies and food security in Wuhan and Nanjing, China, during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from a field survey," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(3), May.
    15. Thomas Reardon, 2015. "The hidden middle: the quiet revolution in the midstream of agrifood value chains in developing countries," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 31(1), pages 45-63.
    16. Zhenzhong Si & Theresa Schumilas & Steffanie Scott, 2015. "Characterizing alternative food networks in China," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(2), pages 299-313, June.
    17. Shixian Luo & Jing Xie & Katsunori Furuya, 2021. "“We Need such a Space”: Residents’ Motives for Visiting Urban Green Spaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Pingyang Liu & Paul Gilchrist & Becky Taylor & Neil Ravenscroft, 2017. "The spaces and times of community farming," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(2), pages 363-375, June.
    2. Xiaoxue Du & Liang Lu & Thomas Reardon & David Zilberman, 2016. "Economics of Agricultural Supply Chain Design: A Portfolio Selection Approach," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 98(5), pages 1377-1388.
    3. Theriault, Veronique & Assima, Amidou & Vroegindewey, Ryan & Tschirley, David & Keita, Naman, 2017. "A City-Retail Outlet Inventory Of Processed Dairy And Grain Foods: Evidence From Mali," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 261675, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    4. Omamo, S. W., 2016. "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 6 - Why food and nutrition security matters for inclusive structural and rural transformation," IFAD Research Series 280044, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    5. Yuan, Yuan & Si, Zhenzhong & Zhong, Taiyang & Huang, Xianjin & Crush, Jonathan, 2021. "Revisiting China’s supermarket revolution: Complementarity and co-evolution between traditional and modern food outlets," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    6. Taiyang Zhong & Zhenzhong Si & Steffanie Scott & Jonathan Crush & Kui Yang & Xianjin Huang, 2021. "Comprehensive Food System Planning for Urban Food Security in Nanjing, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-17, October.
    7. Nicholas J. Sitko & Brian Chisanga & David Tschirley & Thomas S. Jayne, 2018. "An evolution in the middle: examining the rise of multinational investment in smallholder grain trading in Zambia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(2), pages 473-488, April.
    8. Reardon, Thomas & Echeverria, Ruben & Berdegué, Julio & Minten, Bart & Liverpool-Tasie, Saweda & Tschirley, David & Zilberman, David, 2019. "Rapid transformation of food systems in developing regions: Highlighting the role of agricultural research & innovations," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 47-59.
    9. Ortega, David L. & Wang, H. Holly & Wu, Laping & Hong, Soo Jeong, 2015. "Retail channel and consumer demand for food quality in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 359-366.
    10. Li, Chenguang & Sexton, Richard J., 2009. "Impacts of Retailers’ Pricing Strategies for Produce Commodities on Farmer Welfare," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51720, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Onumah, Gideon & Davis, Junior & Kleih, Ulrich & Proctor, Felicity, 2007. "Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets: Changing agricultural marketing systems and innovative responses by producer organizations," MPRA Paper 25984, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Cheptea, Angela & Emlinger, Charlotte & Latouche, Karine, 2014. "Do exporting firms benefit from retail internationalization? Evidence from France," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182706, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. 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.
    14. Gómez, Miguel I. & Ricketts, Katie D., 2013. "Food value chain transformations in developing countries: Selected hypotheses on nutritional implications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 139-150.
    15. Jabbar, Mohammad A. & Admassu, Samuel A., 2009. "Assessing consumer preferences for quality and safety attributes of food in the absence of official standards: the case of beef in Ethiopia," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 50120, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Andrés Rius & Gabriel Katz, 2004. "¿Qué Imitar de las Economías Pequeñas Exitosas? Sobre la Necesidad de una Política y una Legislación de competencia," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0804, Department of Economics - dECON.
    17. Schipmann, Christin & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Supply chain differentiation, contract agriculture, and farmers’ marketing preferences: The case of sweet pepper in Thailand," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 667-677.
    18. Paola Panuccio, 2019. "Smart Planning: From City to Territorial System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-15, December.
    19. David Tschirley & Thomas Reardon & Michael Dolislager & Jason Snyder, 2015. "The Rise of a Middle Class in East and Southern Africa: Implications for Food System Transformation," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(5), pages 628-646, July.
    20. Isabel Miralles & Domenico Dentoni & Stefano Pascucci, 2017. "Understanding the organization of sharing economy in agri-food systems: evidence from alternative food networks in Valencia," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(4), pages 833-854, December.

    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:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:10:p:1628-:d:922305. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.