Biodiv Sci ›› 2012, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (6): 735-744.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2012.10094

• Research Report • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Local households’ perceptions of green agriculture

Changhai Wang, Lijuan Cui*(), Xufeng Mao   

  1. Research Institute of Wetland, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091
  • Received:2012-04-10 Accepted:2012-07-26 Online:2012-11-20 Published:2013-01-04
  • Contact: Lijuan Cui

Abstract:

To test changes in livelihood and perception of local residents after the implementation of green agriculture, 919 questionnaires were distributed to households in three Green Rice Project (GRP) pilot villages in the Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve (CINNR) 2004 and 2011. Our results showed that local households’ benefits were improved and most perceptions of cost and protection awareness were not significantly influenced by economic level (P > 0.05). Although the GRP increased all costs of rice farming, the public were willing to protect the Crested Ibis habitat. However, most of their perceptions of benefits and economic compensation were significantly influenced by economic levels (P <0.05). Despite those advantages, the GRP also has problems, such as unguaranteed funding sources, discontinuous techniques and financial support for follow-up industries. This study indicates that households will care more about their livelihood if their basic requirements are in doubt. Lastly, households participating in GRP tended to be more interested in the economic benefits from GRP, compared to households that were not enrolled in the GRP.

Key words: local residents, perceptions, Green Rice Project, ecological compensation, participatory conservation, the Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve