IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v12y2023i4p731-d1105396.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Government Intervention on Cooperative Development in Poor Areas of Rural China: A Case Study of XM Beekeeping Cooperative in Sichuan

Author

Listed:
  • Shemei Zhang

    (College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611100, China)

  • Bin Wu

    (School of Business, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK)

  • Rui Chen

    (College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611100, China)

  • Jingzhi Liang

    (Party School of Dujiangyan Municipal Committee of the CPC, Chengdu 611844, China)

  • Nawab Khan

    (College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611100, China)

  • Ram L. Ray

    (College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA)

Abstract

The relationship between government intervention and cooperative development has always been a source of controversy in the developing world. This paper aims to examine the rationale and successful conditions of government intervention to promote cooperative development in poor areas of rural China. In the context of the “targeted poverty alleviation” program (2015–2020), a government-led campaign covering all poverty-stricken villages in west China, cooperative development was listed by the central government as a criterion for evaluating successful intervention at the county government level. Accordingly, the central questions of this paper are: why is government intervention necessary to initiate a process of cooperative development in poor areas of China; and under what conditions can government intervention be successful, leading to sustainable cooperative development? Bearing in mind the complexity of government intervention with mixed results, both successful and failed, the above questions are addressed through a case study of XM Beekeeping Cooperative, representing one type of successful government intervention in poverty-stricken and ethnic-minority-dominated regions of China. Overall, government intervention is crucial in building cooperative ecosystems in poor regions of China. However, government intervention is not invariable because the approaches can be modified to accommodate the effect of the intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Shemei Zhang & Bin Wu & Rui Chen & Jingzhi Liang & Nawab Khan & Ram L. Ray, 2023. "Government Intervention on Cooperative Development in Poor Areas of Rural China: A Case Study of XM Beekeeping Cooperative in Sichuan," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:731-:d:1105396
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/731/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/731/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bin Wu & Jules Pretty, 2004. "Social connectedness in marginal rural China: The case of farmer innovation circles in Zhidan, north Shaanxi," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 21(1), pages 81-92, March.
    2. Nawab Khan & Ram L. Ray & Hazem S. Kassem & Muhammad Ihtisham & Badar Naseem Siddiqui & Shemei Zhang, 2022. "Can Cooperative Supports and Adoption of Improved Technologies Help Increase Agricultural Income? Evidence from a Recent Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Tafesse W. Gezahegn & Steven Van Passel & Tekeste Berhanu & Marijke D’haese & Miet Maertens, 2020. "Do bottom-up and independent agricultural cooperatives really perform better? Insights from a technical efficiency analysis in Ethiopia," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(1), pages 93-109, January.
    4. Bin Wu & Liyan Zhang, 2013. "Farmer innovation diffusion via network building: a case of winter greenhouse diffusion in China," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(4), pages 641-651, December.
    5. Haider, L. Jamila & Boonstra, Wiebren J. & Peterson, Garry D. & Schlüter, Maja, 2018. "Traps and Sustainable Development in Rural Areas: A Review," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 311-321.
    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. Magenge Deborah & Kyaruzi Athman & Nsenga, Justus, 2025. "Factors Influencing Tomato Farmers to Adopt Agricultural Technologies in Mlali Mvomero District, Tanzania," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(3), pages 4325-4340, March.
    2. Wu, Bin & Cao, Cong & Mosey, Simon & Daniell, Tim & Noy, Peter & Cui, Yizhe & Rose, Min & Snape, Jonathan, 2025. "How does global agricultural research and innovation cooperation influence agricultural R&I system transformation in the South? Evidence from UK-China cooperation," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

    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. Wu, Bin & Liu, Linghui, 2020. "Social capital for rural revitalization in China: A critical evaluation on the government’s new countryside programme in Chengdu," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Shackleton, C.M. & Garekae, H. & Sardeshpande, M. & Sinasson Sanni, G. & Twine, W.C., 2024. "Non-timber forest products as poverty traps: Fact or fiction?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    3. Zhang, Shemei & Ma, Jiliang & Zhang, Liu & Sun, Zhanli & Zhao, Zhijun & Khan, Nawab, 2022. "Does adoption of honeybee pollination promote the economic value of kiwifruit farmers? Evidence from China," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 19(14), pages 1-14.
    4. Shadrack Kipkogei & Jiqin Han & Gershom Mwalupaso & John Tanui & Robert Brenya, 2025. "The synergistic effects of microcredit access and agricultural technology adoption on maize farmer’s income in Kenya," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(1), pages 1-26, January.
    5. Rombeallo, Intan Parumbuan & Jamil, Muhammad Hatta & Rukmana, Didi, 2024. "Factors affecting farmers’ decision to join coffee producer cooperatives to improve their welfare," Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, vol. 10(4), December.
    6. Para Jansuwan & Kerstin K. Zander, 2021. "Getting Young People to Farm: How Effective Is Thailand’s Young Smart Farmer Programme?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-18, October.
    7. Verónica Borbolla-Pérez & Lourdes Georgina Iglesias-Andreu & Mauricio Luna-Rodríguez & Pablo Octavio-Aguilar, 2017. "Perceptions regarding the challenges and constraints faced by smallholder farmers of vanilla in Mexico," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 2421-2441, December.
    8. Peng Cao & Xiao Ouyang & Jun Xu, 2022. "How Do Ecosystem Services Affect Poverty Reduction Efficiency? A Panel Data Analysis of State Poverty Counties in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, February.
    9. Gezahegn, Tafesse & Van Passel, Steven & Berhanu, Tekeste & D'Haese, Marijke & Maertens, Miet, 2020. "Structural and Institutional Heterogeneity among Agricultural Cooperatives in Ethiopia: Does it Matter for Farmers’ Welfare?," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 46(2), August.
    10. Elizabeth Eldridge & Marie-Eve Rancourt & Ann Langley & Dani Héroux, 2022. "Expanding Perspectives on the Poverty Trap for Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania: The Role of Rural Input Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-34, April.
    11. Mengdi Wang & Xiaobing Peng, 2023. "How to Develop Sustainably after Poverty Alleviation in Poverty-Stricken Areas under Paired Assistance: A Quantitative Assessment Framework Based on System Dynamics Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, March.
    12. Christina Handschuch & Meike Wollni, 2016. "Improved production systems for traditional food crops: the case of finger millet in western Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(4), pages 783-797, August.
    13. Baloch, Muhammad Awais & Danish, & Khan, Salah Ud-Din & Ulucak, Zübeyde Şentürk, 2020. "Poverty and vulnerability of environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan African countries: what causes what?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 143-149.
    14. Ernan Rustiadi & Andrea Emma Pravitasari & Rista Ardy Priatama & Jane Singer & Junaidi Junaidi & Zulgani Zulgani & Rizqi Ianatus Sholihah, 2023. "Regional Development, Rural Transformation, and Land Use/Cover Changes in a Fast-Growing Oil Palm Region: The Case of Jambi Province, Indonesia," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, May.
    15. Skaalsveen, Kamilla & Ingram, Julie & Urquhart, Julie, 2020. "The role of farmers' social networks in the implementation of no-till farming practices," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    16. Marcos Carchano & Inmaculada Carrasco & Sebastián Castillo & M. Carmen García-Cortijo, 2021. "The Social Economy as a Factor of Economic Development and Resilience of Population in Rural Areas. A Study of Mediating Effects in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, May.
    17. Misa Aoki, 2014. "Motivations for organic farming in tourist regions: a case study in Nepal," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 181-193, February.
    18. Magenge Deborah & Kyaruzi Athman & Nsenga, Justus, 2025. "Factors Influencing Tomato Farmers to Adopt Agricultural Technologies in Mlali Mvomero District, Tanzania," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(3), pages 4325-4340, March.
    19. Susanne, Kummer & Rebecka, Milestad & Friedrich, Leitgeb & Christian, R. Vogl, 2012. "Building Resilience through Farmers’ Experiments in Organic Agriculture: Examples from Eastern Austria," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 1(2).
    20. Steven McGreevy, 2012. "Lost in translation: incomer organic farmers, local knowledge, and the revitalization of upland Japanese hamlets," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 29(3), pages 393-412, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:731-:d:1105396. 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.