from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD is the world's only community-supported journal. JAFSCD content is open access thanks to the generous support of our shareholders: the JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium, Library Shareholders, a growing number of Individual Shareholders, and our seven JAFSCD Partners: |
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As urbanization continues to advance globally, the decline in the agricultural labor force and the depopulation of rural areas become unavoidable challenges. Addressing ways to ensure food security and revitalize rural communities in this evolving landscape is an urgent matter.
The article titled “Peasants’ land rights and the hollowing out of communal property management in rural China,” authored by Xiaoyu Yu, presents a study conducted in Anhui Province in eastern China and proposes that the communal management of rural land might offer more effective solutions to these issues compared to private land systems.
Under China’s existing household responsibility system, rural land is owned by villages rather than individuals. The village grants residents the right to operate the land, allowing them to independently manage the allocated plots and enjoy the resulting income. However, in recent years there has been a notable shift in power dynamics in Chinese villages, particularly concerning the authority to reclaim land from villagers. This has resulted in a situation where numerous migrants who have settled in urban areas still retain the rights to rural land use.
To investigate the state of farmland operations and rural civic participation in such a context, the author conducted a questionnaire survey and open-ended interviews in three natural villages. KEY FINDINGS -
Approximately 75% of the population in the three villages had migrated. Due to the preferences of out-migrants, a significant portion of the farmland was leased to nonlocal farmers or companies for large-scale capitalist operations.
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Nonlocal producers, driven by capitalist logic, often ceased operations when the land became unprofitable, leaving it unused or, in some cases, refusing to pay rent.
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For resident villagers, land holds a significance beyond being a mere commodity or means of production. It represents a resource that ensures their food security, provides fresh produce for urban relatives, and supports local food markets.
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The majority of out-migrants displayed apathy toward village public affairs, such as village elections, and rarely participated in local social activities.
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While towns experienced increasing prosperity, rural areas faced challenges like abandoned farmland, dilapidated rural houses, and a decline in civic engagement. Many residents expressed a desire for the government to demolish their village and resettle them in urban areas.
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One of the three natural villages stood out as an exception, as its residents actively operated the majority of the land. This village did not face issues such as abandoned land or loss of civic engagement to the same extent.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
This study concludes that the increasing privatization of land amid the ongoing rural-to-urban migration has not led to efficient farmland use or the revitalization of rural areas. To overcome the challenges posed by the capitalization of agri-food systems in rural regions, it is imperative to explore innovative approaches that harness the commons through local initiatives. In this regard, the paper suggests that local governance should retain the authority to adjust the allocation of rural land, optimizing land use and supporting local food security, particularly in cases where absentee land rights holders neglect their rural responsibilities. First, this approach can help avert the situation described in this article, wherein urban migrants control the majority of the land without engaging in agriculture nor being interested in local governance. Second, it recognize the significant symbolic value that land holds in rural life through communal management. Finally, a portion of profits from communal land can be directed toward the upkeep of shared agricultural machinery, irrigation systems, road maintenance, communal facilities, and cultural activities. These initiatives contribute to sustaining both economic and civic life in rural areas.
Author Xiaoyu Yu can be contacted at yu.xiaoyu.23s@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp. SHARE ON SOCIALS
Read the latest JAFSCD article, "Peasants’ land rights and the hollowing out of communal property management in rural China" and learn how communal ownership of land affects rural communities in China. #rurallabor #outmigration #agriculture #agrarian #china Read the full article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2023.131.021
Photo above: A household vegetable garden in one of the study areas in rural China. Photo provided by author. |
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The importance of earning trust in Appalachian coal camps
JAFSCD Voices from the Grassroots commentary by Angel Smothers (West Virginia U School of Nursing), Kristen Goins (McComas, West Virginia), Tanner Cole and Jaylyne Morgan (both at West Virginia U School of Nursing), and Erin Young and Kylie Young (both AmeriCorps VISTA) |
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In a new Voices from the Grassroots commentary, “Examining the history of trust within Appalachian coal camps,” the authors discuss their experiences learning about the region’s fraught history of trust, and then strategize ways to earn and keep coal camp community members’ trust.
In the isolated rural communities of the Appalachian Mountains, coal companies established numerous towns known as coal camps, exerting tight control over them. As a result, community members depended entirely on the mining companies for survival. This dependency contributed to the region’s decline; as coal lost its dominance and work diminished, economic opportunities also vanished. A culture of solitude and self-reliance developed, affecting the economic status of the area.
While trust is crucial in anyone’s life, it seems to have a higher significance in the Appalachian Mountains and particularly to those who live in coal camps. The authors discuss the connections between culture and trust, and trust as it relates to economic relationships, environmental concerns, and the provision of social services. Working with someone who is trusted within the coal camp is imperative for fostering a more trusting relationship with outsiders.
To address concerns about residents’ limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, the team came up with strategies to address the overarching issue of a lack of trust that many rural community members feel. Some community members have concerns about food that comes from outside sources. The team approach includes a nurse who is considered a community insider working with a layperson leader from within the rural coal camp community. The faith community nurse and other community insiders have been able to educate community members and support them in overcoming these concerns.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE
The team identified and used the following strategies to help address fear and lack of trust among the residents of the communities they work in: - Engage in active listening
- Build relationships and establish rapport
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Promote transparency and open communication
- Involve local community members
- Collaborate with local organizations
- Demonstrate cultural sensitivity
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Deliver on promises and commitments
- Be consistent and reliable
- Address historical context and stereotypes
- Emphasize long-term sustainability
Identifying ways to improve access year-round to fresh fruits and vegetables may be key to addressing many residents’ lower-than-average health-related outcomes that center around a diet that lacks good nutritional value and limited physical activity. The team has been able to use these strategies to support community members where they are and make progress toward building trust.
Corresponding author Angel Smothers can be contacted at asmothers@hsc.wvu.edu. SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
Authors discuss their experiences learning about the Appalachian region’s fraught history of trust, and then strategize ways to earn and keep coal camp community members’ trust. Identifying ways to improve access year-round to fresh fruits and vegetables is key to addressing lower-than-average health-related outcomes. #Appalachia #coal #coalcamps. Read the JAFSCD article free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2023.131.020
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Meeting current and future food needs through local, regional, and global food system development will continue to be difficult in a VUCA world — a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (Persis et al., 2021). Climate change, war, pandemics, industrialization and consolidation, land-grabbing, environmental degradation, and growing inequality present both immediate and long-term challenges. As noted in the recent COP28 climate change conference, food systems and agricultural issues are assuming international importance as sources of global climate and environmental change — as well as parts of the solution (Cooper, 2023). Better outcomes may result from pursuing opportunities inspired by a dramatic re-envisioning, both locally and across political boundaries.
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To this end, JAFSCD announces a call for papers related to community-based circular food systems (C-B CFS). We define C-B CFS as local and regional food systems that emphasize a community’s health and well-being while minimizing waste and protecting shared natural resources. . . . Any meaningful progress toward the wide range of UN Sustainable Development Goals will require a transformative change in the food system, including in production, processing, distribution, retailing, consumption, and the utilization of waste, while promoting human and planetary well-being. . . .
The editorial team welcomes manuscripts from original applied research, literature reviews, historical analyses, projections, public policy analyses, case studies, feasibility studies, reflective essays, life-cycle analyses, post-mortem analyses, and other works that reveal the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to current and emerging C-B CFS models. . . . Research of interest may drill deeply into one component of a C-B CFS (see list online) or focus broadly across production-to-consumption stakeholder groups or value-chain components, including waste. However, JAFSCD’s focus requires that community embeddedness be front and center. Commentaries from grassroots organizations that inform C-B CFS research, policy, and practice are also welcomed. . . .
> This is an abbreviated announcement. See the full call at the JAFSCD website!
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See the FULL CALL FOR PAPERS with lots more details — and please share with your colleagues, students, and networks! A PDF is available as well.
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SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
JAFSCD announces a call for papers on Community-Based Circular Food Systems — local and regional food systems that emphasize a community’s health and well-being while minimizing waste and protecting shared natural resources. How can changes in food production and consumption toward circularity save natural resources without compromising the nutrient needs of regional populations?
The editorial team welcomes manuscripts from original applied research, literature reviews, historical analyses, projections, public policy analyses, case studies, feasibility studies, reflective essays, life-cycle analyses, and other works that reveal the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to current and emerging C-B CFS models. JAFSCD is open access! Lots more detail at https://www.foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/call-for-papers
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