IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/unadrs/335374.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

IFAD Research Series 90: Rural Transformation, Income Growth and Poverty Reduction by Province in China in the Past Four Decades

Author

Listed:
  • Huang, Jikun
  • Shi, Pengfei

Abstract

China has experienced rapid rural transformation in the past four decades. Accompanying the rapid transformation are a significant rise in rural household income and a substantial fall in rural poverty. Based on the indicators of rural transformation (share of high-value agriculture and share of rural labour employment in non-farm activities) and its outcomes (per capita income and poverty incidence), this paper examines the evolutions of and the relationships between provincial rural transformation and its major outcomes. The results show that all provinces have undergone significant rural transformation, but the level and speed of transformation has differed considerably among provinces. Both graphic and regression analyses indicate that there is strong correlation between the level of rural transformation and its outcomes: a higher level of transformation is often positively associated with a higher level of per capital income and a lower level of poverty incidence in rural China. Furthermore, a general category of provincial rural transformation in terms of high-value agriculture and rural labours’ non-farm employment is conducted. The likely impacts of institutions, policies and investments on rural transformation are also discussed. The paper concludes with several policy implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Jikun & Shi, Pengfei, 2023. "IFAD Research Series 90: Rural Transformation, Income Growth and Poverty Reduction by Province in China in the Past Four Decades," IFAD Research Series 335374, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:unadrs:335374
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/335374/files/IFAD%20RS%2090.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shenggen Fan, 1991. "Effects of Technological Change and Institutional Reform on Production Growth in Chinese Agriculture," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 73(2), pages 266-275.
    2. Cai, Fang & Wang, Meiyan, 2010. "Growth and structural changes in employment in transition China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 71-81, March.
    3. C. Peter Timmer, 2017. "Food Security, Structural Transformation, Markets and Government Policy," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(1), pages 4-19, January.
    4. Otsuka, Keijiro, ed. & Fan, Shenggen, ed., 2021. "Agricultural development: New perspectives in a changing world: Synopsis," IFPRI synopses 9780896293854, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. repec:aei:rpbook:24862 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. McMillan, John & Whalley, John & Zhu, Lijing, 1989. "The Impact of China's Economic Reforms on Agricultural Productivity Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(4), pages 781-807, August.
    7. Jin Yang & Zuhui Huang & Xiaobo Zhang & Thomas Reardon, 2013. "The Rapid Rise of Cross-Regional Agricultural Mechanization Services in China," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(5), pages 1245-1251.
    8. Linxiu Zhang & Yongqing Dong & Chengfang Liu & Yunli Bai, 2018. "Off-farm employment over the past four decades in rural China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(2), pages 190-214, May.
    9. Jikun Huang & Jiping Ding, 2016. "Institutional innovation and policy support to facilitate small-scale farming transformation in China," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(S1), pages 227-237, November.
    10. Otsuka, Keijiro, ed. & Fan, Shenggen, ed., 2021. "Agricultural development: New perspectives in a changing world," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 9780896293830.
    11. Hongbin Li & Lei Li & Binzhen Wu & Yanyan Xiong, 2012. "The End of Cheap Chinese Labor," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(4), pages 57-74, Fall.
    12. Liangliang Gao & Jikun Huang & Scott Rozelle, 2012. "Rental markets for cultivated land and agricultural investments in China," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 43(4), pages 391-403, July.
    13. Jikun Huang & Pengfei Shi, 2021. "Regional rural and structural transformations and farmer's income in the past four decades in China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 13(2), pages 278-301, January.
    14. Deininger, Klaus & Jin, Songqing & Xia, Fang & Huang, Jikun, 2014. "Moving Off the Farm: Land Institutions to Facilitate Structural Transformation and Agricultural Productivity Growth in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 505-520.
    15. Peter Timmer & Selvin Akkus, 2008. "The Structural Transformation as a Pathway out of Poverty: Analytics, Empirics and Politics," Working Papers 150, Center for Global Development.
    16. C. Peter Timmer, 2009. "A World Without Agriculture: The Structural Transformation in Historical Perspective," Books, American Enterprise Institute, number 43120, September.
    17. Deng, Hengshan & Huang, Jikun & Xu, Zhigang & Rozelle, Scott, 2010. "Policy support and emerging farmer professional cooperatives in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 495-507, December.
    18. Songqing Jin & Hengyun Ma & Jikun Huang & Ruifa Hu & Scott Rozelle, 2010. "Productivity, efficiency and technical change: measuring the performance of China’s transforming agriculture," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 191-207, June.
    19. Linxiu Zhang & Yongqing Dong & Chengfang Liu & Yunli Bai, 2018. "Off-farm employment over the past four decades in rural China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(2), pages 190-214, May.
    20. Lin, Justin Yifu, 1992. "Rural Reforms and Agricultural Growth in China," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(1), pages 34-51, March.
    21. Haggblade, Steven & Hazell, Peter & Reardon, Thomas, 2010. "The Rural Non-farm Economy: Prospects for Growth and Poverty Reduction," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1429-1441, October.
    22. Dr Kevin Z. Chen, Dr Shenggen Fan and Dr Suresh Chandra Babu & Suresh Chandra Babu & Jikun Huang & P. Venkatesh & Yumei Zhang, 2015. "A comparative analysis of agricultural research and extension reforms in China and India," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 7(4), pages 541-572, November.
    23. Suresh Chandra Babu & Jikun Huang & P. Venkatesh & Yumei Zhang, 2015. "A comparative analysis of agricultural research and extension reforms in China and India," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 7(4), pages 541-572, November.
    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. Zhang, Yumei & Diao, Xinshen, 2020. "The changing role of agriculture with economic structural change – The case of China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    2. Wang, Xiaobing & Yamauchi, Futoshi & Otsuka, Keijiro & Huang, Jikun, 2016. "Wage Growth, Landholding, and Mechanization in Chinese Agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 30-45.
    3. Min, Shi & Liu, Min & Huang, Jikun, 2020. "Does the application of ICTs facilitate rural economic transformation in China? Empirical evidence from the use of smartphones among farmers," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    4. Du, Jane & Deng, Kent, 2016. "To get the prices right for food: a “Gerschenkron state” versus the market in reforming China, 1979–2006," Economic History Working Papers 65369, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    5. Deininger, Klaus & Jin, Songqing & Xia, Fang & Huang, Jikun, 2014. "Moving Off the Farm: Land Institutions to Facilitate Structural Transformation and Agricultural Productivity Growth in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 505-520.
    6. Wang, Xiaobing & Yamauchi, Futoshi & Huang, Jikun & Rozelle, Scott, 2020. "What constrains mechanization in Chinese agriculture? Role of farm size and fragmentation," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    7. Yinyin Cai & Yew-Kwang Ng, 2014. "Part-Peasants: Incomplete Rural–Urban Labour Migration in China," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 401-422, October.
    8. Ruifeng Liu & Zhifeng Gao & Yefan Nian & Hengyun Ma, 2020. "Does Social Relation or Economic Interest Affect the Choice Behavior of Land Lease Agreement in China? Evidence from the Largest Wheat−Producing Henan Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Gong, Binlei, 2020. "Agricultural productivity convergence in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    10. Zhang, Jian & Mishra, Ashok K. & Hirsch, Stefan, 2021. "Market-oriented agriculture and farm performance: Evidence from rural China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    11. Lin, Bin & Wang, Xiaoxi & Jin, Songqing & Yang, Wanjiang & Li, Houjian, 2022. "Impacts of cooperative membership on rice productivity: Evidence from China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    12. Zhang, Jian & Mishra, Ashok K. & Zhu, Peixin & Li, Xiaoshun, 2020. "Land rental market and agricultural labor productivity in rural China: A mediation analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    13. Wang, Hui & Riedinger, Jeffrey & Jin, Songqing, 2015. "Land documents, tenure security and land rental development: Panel evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 220-235.
    14. Kanbur, Ravi & Zhang, Xiaobo, 2001. "Fifty Years Of Regional Inequality In China: A Journey Through Revolution, Reform And Openness," Working Papers 7236, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    15. Thomas Vendryes, 2014. "Peasants Against Private Property Rights: A Review Of The Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 971-995, December.
    16. Huang, Jikun & Rozelle, Scott, 2006. "The emergence of agricultural commodity markets in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 266-280.
    17. Chen, Po-Chi & Yu, Ming-Miin & Chang, Ching-Cheng & Hsu, Shih-Hsun, 2008. "Total factor productivity growth in China's agricultural sector," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 580-593, December.
    18. Haizhi Tong & Lilyan E. Fulginiti, 2005. "Chinese Regional Agricultural Productivity in the 1990'a," Others 0502012, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Rozelle, Scott, 2006. "China: Market or Competitor?," Research Project Reports 121610, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California Institute for the Study of Specialty Crops.
    20. Carter, Colin A. & Estrin, Andrew J., 2001. "Market Reforms Versus Structural Reforms in Rural China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 527-541, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agribusiness; Agricultural Finance; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Food Security and Poverty; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ags:unadrs:335374. 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: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifaunit.html .

    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.