Scott Waldron

Food safety and development of the beef industry in China

Food safety concerns have escalated in China as they have elsewhere, especially in relation to meats. Beef production and consumption has increased proportionately faster than all other meats over the last two decades. Yet the slaughtering, processing and marketing of beef remains, for the most part, extremely primitive when compared with Western beef supply chains. By comparing the economics of household slaughtering with that of various types of abattoirs, this paper explains why household slaughtering and wet markets still dominate beef processing and distribution in China. The negative economic, social and industry development implications of enforcing more stringent food safety regulations are highlighted. The willingness/capacity of consumers to pay the added cost of better inspection and other services to guarantee food safety is investigated. In this context, the paper also evaluates the market opportunities for both domestic and imported Green Beef. The paper questions the merit of policy initiatives aimed at modernising Chinese beef supply chains for the mass market along Western lines

A critical review of degradation assumptions applied to Mongolia's Gobi Desert

Several assumptions about the levels and causes of rangeland degradation in Mongolia are widely accepted by a range of stakeholders. These assumptions have become important in terms of guiding strategies and policy directions. This paper provides a critical analysis of five widely-held assumptions about rangeland degradation in Mongolia to the more specific case of the rangelands of the Gobi Desert. These assumptions are: (i) there are too many animals; (ii) the relative increase in goat numbers has led to desertification; (iii) rainfall is declining; (iv) there is declining pasture biomass; and (v) Mongolian rangelands are degraded. Biophysical and social data from the Dundgobi and Omnogobi desert steppe areas suggest not all of these assumptions are supported all of the time, and that the processes upon which these assumptions are based are often more complex or dynamic than is commonly recognised. In designing policy and programs, more attention to these dynamics and complexities is needed.

State Sector Reform and Agriculture in China

Chinas state sector reform process is examined through the key sector of agriculture. A preview of aggregate statistics and broader reform measures indicate the declining role of the state. However, a systematic analysis of administrative, service and enterprise structures reveal the nuances of how the state has retained strong capacity to guide development of the agricultural sector. State and Party policy makers aim not only to support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of farmers, but also to pursue agricultural modernization in the context of rapid industrialization. These goals are unlikely to be achieved through a wholesale transfer of functions to the private sector, so the state has maintained or developed new mechanisms of influence, particularly in the areas of service provision and enterprise development.

Grassland degradation and livelihoods in China's western pastoral region: A framework for understanding and refining China's recent policy responses

Purpose - China has embarked on a major concerted strategy to arrest grassland degradation and livelihood problems in the western pastoral region. The paper aims to provide a framework through which this strategy can be understood and refined into the future. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based on a typology of grassland policies – technical, administrative, and management – and a discussion of the emphasis that China has and should place on each policy category. Data are drawn from policy documents and interview material collected through extensive fieldwork in large tracts of Chinas western pastoral region. Findings - China has appropriately pursued “top-down” technical and administrative policies to address major and immediate degradation-livelihoods problems. However, longer term solutions to the problems require the strengthening of management structures from the “bottom-up”, especially amongst herders themselves and other economic factors. Practical implications - The paper proposes a series of concrete recommendations that may be considered as China refines its grasslands strategy into the future. The emphasis in the paper on the relationships between multi-dimensional policies is of particular value in addressing multi-dimensional grasslands-livelihood problems. Originality/value - Despite the magnitude and implications of Chinas recent grasslands strategy, there is a dearth of English language studies on the subject, which this paper aims to fill. The paper includes numerous micro-level insights gained from extensive fieldwork in the western pastoral region that are not evident in more macro-level studies.

Environmental Issues and Policy Priorities in China: A Content Analysis of Government Documents

Not all environmental issues get the same level of policy attention because of the limited capacity of the political and administrative system to consider all issues simultaneously. This article explores the priority attached to different environmental issues in China through a content analysis of 1,564 government documents during the 1999 to 2008 period. The analysis focuses on four issues, namely pollution types, high-polluting industrial sectors, environmental policy instruments and the implementation of international environmental treaties. The empirical results provide useful insights into changing policy priorities in the area of environmental protection so as to gain a better understanding of the roles of environmental regulation in China.

Forage-livestock policies designed to improve livelihoods in Western China: a critical review

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show how the promotion of integrated forage/ruminant-livestock industries forms a key plank in efforts to improve rural household livelihoods in Western China. Design/methodology/approach - The paper critiques how this industry development has proceeded in the case of Qingyang prefecture in Gansu. The way in which the industry policy has manifested from central to local levels of government is outlined along with how the industry policy relates to other measures intended to improve household livelihoods. Findings - The outcomes of this forage-livestock industry policy do not always match the intention, and the paper examines the various disconnects that arise between government agencies, government and households and households and the market. The foremost challenge for policy makers is in connecting households and markets. Originality/value - Identifying the impacts of policy and institutional settings associated with forage-livestock systems is crucial if improvements are to be made and as these systems become more widespread in Western China.

Rural Development in China: Insights from the Beef Industry

Introduction: The challenge of industry and rural development. Industry Dynamics: Market, household, enterprise and administrative reforms Industry organisational structures and participants Industry growth and segmentation Emerging market structures and industry integration. Institutional Transitions: Types of institutions Horizontal government structures Vertical hierarchy. Policy Reforms: Production support - critique of a specific industry policy Value adding and vertical integration Market support systems Poverty alleviation and environmental policies Food safety and inspection. Conclusion: Forging industry and rural development in China.

Agricultural marketing and food safety in China: a utility perspective

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to explore Chinese food safety issues by analysing select incidents within he Chinese agricultural marketing system. Design/methodology/approach - – A marketing utility framework is utilized to discuss some of the major food safety incidents in China and potential solutions are explored. Findings - – The paper finds that food safety issues arise from problems of asymmetric information which leads to the profit seeking behaviour of agents distorting rather than enhancing the creation of one of the four types or marketing utility (time, form, place and possession). Additionally, structural causes found within the Chinese food marketing system have contributed to the food safety problems. Research limitations/implications - – This is not an empirical research with numerical data. Originality/value - – This study is one of the first to address Chinese food safety problems from an agricultural marketing utility perspective. Key anecdotes are used to support the claims made in this study.

AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION AND STATE CAPACITY IN CHINA

The central role played by the Chinese government in bringing about agricultural modernization and state capacity in China is discussed. The efforts being made by China to find new sources of agricultural and rural development are highlighted.

Rural development in China: Industry policy, regionalism, integration and scale

Purpose – The Chinese government has increasingly turned to industry policy as a means of promoting rural development. These industry policies have not necessarily led to an improvement in rural incomes nor to the achievement of other social and environmental goals. This paper examines ways of designing these policies to achieve better rural development outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The approach adopts a detailed micro-level analysis of industry policy through the window of the cattle and beef industries. Intensive fieldwork and interviews are conducted with all segments of and participants in the industry in all major beef production and consumption regions. A series of normative analyses examines issues of integration, scale of development, regionalism and specialisation. Findings – Industry policy is a powerful mechanism by which to influence regional and rural development. Improving development outcomes requires that central and local government goals converge and that regions in inland China are well integrated with other regions and sectors of the economy. Large-scale development projects must be carefully designed to avoid displacing individual households from industry development. Originality/value – By crossing institutional, geographic and industry segment lines in a comprehensive manner, the research will aid Chinese decision makers concerned with rural development in the design of their industry development policies.