IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v14y2024i5p726-d1389973.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Collaboration to Address the Challenges Faced by Smallholders in Practicing Organic Agriculture: A Case Study of the Organic Sorghum Industry in Zunyi City, China

Author

Listed:
  • Sheng Wu

    (Institute of Modern Agricultural Development, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Guiyang 550025, China)

  • Shanwei Li

    (Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China)

Abstract

In many developing countries, organic agriculture is increasingly recognized as a key strategy for promoting rural economic development and improving farmer welfare. It is primarily smallholders who form the foundation of organic production in these areas. However, these farmers face significant challenges in adopting organic farming methods. The aim of this paper is to investigate solutions to the challenges encountered by smallholders. This research utilizes an integrated approach and includes a case study of the organic sorghum sector in Zunyi, China. The findings indicate that (1) a robust partnership has been established between enterprises, government, and farmers in the organic sorghum industry in Zunyi. Enterprises purchase the sorghum, cover organic certification costs, and partially fund material inputs, while local government facilitates organization, coordination, and technical support, with farmers responsible for production. (2) This collaboration has catalyzed high-quality development in the industry, benefiting all stakeholders. (3) Through this collaborative model, common challenges faced by smallholders, such as obstacles in obtaining certification, income fluctuations, and unfair market conditions, have been mitigated. Consequently, smallholders secure stable and reliable income as they benefit from favorable contract prices for organic sorghum and the assumption by enterprises of most material input costs. This study offers valuable empirical evidence that can guide the expansion of organic agriculture in similar regions and countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Sheng Wu & Shanwei Li, 2024. "Collaboration to Address the Challenges Faced by Smallholders in Practicing Organic Agriculture: A Case Study of the Organic Sorghum Industry in Zunyi City, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-24, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:5:p:726-:d:1389973
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/5/726/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/5/726/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joyce Thamaga-Chitja & Sheryl Hendriks, 2008. "Emerging issues in smallholder organic production and marketing in South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 317-326.
    2. Eva-Marie Meemken & Matin Qaim, 2018. "Organic Agriculture, Food Security, and the Environment," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 10(1), pages 39-63, October.
    3. Lili Geng & Shaocong Yan & Qi Lu & Xiaomeng Liang & Yufei Li & Yongji Xue, 2023. "A Rural Land Share Cooperative System for Alleviating the Small, Scattered, and Weak Dilemma in Agricultural Development: The Cases of Tangyue, Zhouchong, and Chongzhou," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-17, August.
    4. Chenchen Ren & Xinyue Zhou & Chen Wang & Yaolin Guo & Yu Diao & Sisi Shen & Stefan Reis & Wanyue Li & Jianming Xu & Baojing Gu, 2023. "Ageing threatens sustainability of smallholder farming in China," Nature, Nature, vol. 616(7955), pages 96-103, April.
    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. Meike Weltin & Silke Hüttel, 2023. "Sustainable Intensification Farming as an Enabler for Farm Eco-Efficiency?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(1), pages 315-342, January.
    2. Johan Swinnen & Alessandro Olper & Senne Vandevelde, 2021. "From unfair prices to unfair trading practices: Political economy, value chains and 21st century agri‐food policy," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(5), pages 771-788, September.
    3. Iliriana Miftari & Rainer Haas & Oliver Meixner & Drini Imami & Ekrem Gjokaj, 2022. "Factors Influencing Consumer Attitudes towards Organic Food Products in a Transition Economy—Insights from Kosovo," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Maurer, Rainer, 2023. "Comparing the effect of different agricultural land-use systems on biodiversity," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Koen Deconinck & Marion Jansen & Carla Barisone, 2023. "Fast and furious: the rise of environmental impact reporting in food systems," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 50(4), pages 1310-1337.
    6. Lu, Yongquan & Liu, Guilin & Xian, Yuyang & Tang, Jiaqi & Zhong, Liming, 2024. "Climate change brings both opportunities and challenges to rural revitalization in China: Evidence from apple geographical indication predictions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    7. Debuschewitz, Emil & Sanders, Jürn, 2021. "Bewertung der Umweltwirkungen des ökologischen Landbaus im Kontext der kontroversen wissenschaftlichen Diskurse," 61st Annual Conference, Berlin, Germany, September 22-24, 2021 317076, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    8. Radu Lucian Pânzaru & Daniela Firoiu & George H. Ionescu & Andi Ciobanu & Dragoș Mihai Medelete & Ramona Pîrvu, 2023. "Organic Agriculture in the Context of 2030 Agenda Implementation in European Union Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-31, July.
    9. Dilip Nandwani & Dinesh Jamarkattel & Khem Raj Dahal & Ritikshya Poudel & Suman Giri & Toya Nath Joshi, 2021. "Attitudes of Fruit and Vegetable Farmers towards Organic Farming in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-11, April.
    10. Leslie J. Verteramo Chiu & Miguel I. Gomez, 2023. "A Tale of Two Strawberries: Conventional and Organic Open-Field Production in California," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-11, September.
    11. Sellare, Jorge & Meemken, Eva-Marie & Qaim, Matin, 2020. "Fairtrade, Agrochemical Input Use, and Effects on Human Health and the Environment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    12. Hui Zhang & Jing Li & Tianshu Quan, 2023. "Strengthening or Weakening: The Impact of an Aging Rural Workforce on Agricultural Economic Resilience in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-16, July.
    13. Xu, Zhan & Liang, Zhengyuan & Cheng, Jiali & Groot, Jeroen C.J. & Zhang, Chaochun & Cong, Wen-Feng & Zhang, Fusuo & van der Werf, Wopke, 2024. "Comparing the sustainability of smallholder and business farms in the North China Plain; a case study in Quzhou," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    14. Senad Murtić & Milena Đurić & Jasmin Fazlić & Fikreta Behmen & Sanel Haseljić & Amina Šerbo & Haris Berbić, 2023. "Organic versus conventional 'Willamette' raspberry: yield, bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties," Horticultural Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 50(4), pages 275-282.
    15. Barbieri, Pietro & Starck, Thomas & Voisin, Anne-Sophie & Nesme, Thomas, 2023. "Biological nitrogen fixation of legumes crops under organic farming as driven by cropping management: A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    16. Finger, Robert & Möhring, Niklas, 2022. "The adoption of pesticide-free wheat production and farmers' perceptions of its environmental and health effects," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    17. Sergei Schaub & Jaboury Ghazoul & Robert Huber & Wei Zhang & Adelaide Sander & Charles Rees & Simanti Banerjee & Robert Finger, 2023. "The role of behavioural factors and opportunity costs in farmers' participation in voluntary agri‐environmental schemes: A systematic review," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(3), pages 617-660, September.
    18. Zhongming Li & Wei Fu & Mingcan Luo & Jiancheng Chen, 2022. "The Coupling Coordination between the Competitiveness Level and Land Use Efficiency of Green Food Industry in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-22, November.
    19. Cao, Huoqing & Chen, Shiyi & Xi, Xican, 2023. "Aging, migration, and structural transformation in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    20. Dietz, Thomas & Biber-Freudenberger, Lisa & Deal, Laura & Börner, Jan, 2022. "Is private sustainability governance a myth? Evaluating major sustainability certifications in primary production: A mixed methods meta-study," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).

    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:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:5:p:726-:d:1389973. 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.