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Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 17651

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Dr. Xin Deng

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Guest Editor

College of Economics, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: land use policy; ecological restoration and protection; sustainable development of rural settlements
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Li Ma

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Guest Editor

School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Interests: multifunctional land use; land use transition; farmland transfer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As complex, whole systems, rural communities all have their own natural ecology, economic production and social life. Rural communities are defined as areas with close interaction between humans and nature. Here, humans change the natural environment through their actions, and the environment responds to the impacts of the humans occupying it. However, climate change is posing enormous challenges to the world's rural development. Disasters, famines and diseases are all closely connected to climate change. The above scenarios force us to reflect on the development paradigm established after the Industrial Revolution and necessitate the development of a more efficient methodology for building resilient villages. Rural areas around the world are rapidly being transformed by industrialization, which is a process accompanied by climate change, environmental pollution and reduced comfort. Rural communities are part of a complete and complex ecosystem consisting of human, animals, crops, resources, environment, climate and other elements, which form an energy cycle. For example, farming and planting are mutually supportive activities: animal manure can be used as fertilizer for planting, and plants can be used as animal feed. However, the industrialization model managed these elements separately, and the energy cycle was broken, resulting in a series of ecological and environmental problems. A new development paradigm to improve the resilience and achieve sustainability for rural communities is thus urgently needed. Green development is a mode of economic growth and social development that aims at efficiency, harmony and sustainability and provides a foundation for the harmonious coexistence of human and nature in rural communities. Therefore, for this Special Issue, we are inviting the submission of papers addressing green development, rural communities and resilient villages.

Dr. Xin Deng
Dr. Li Ma
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

green development
rural community
resilient countryside
rural vulnerability
rural development risk
ecological restoration
sustainable land use
digital village
climate change and response
ecological agriculture
community management

Related Special Issue

Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability—Second Edition in Sustainability

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 4019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

China’s Future Countryside Model Construction and Development Level Evaluation

by Zhiwen Chen, Yixin Xu, Song Wang, Ling Jiang and Dan Yan

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13819; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813819 - 16 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1080

Abstract

Communities and villages are holistic organisms, representing a complete system formed by natural space and human activities. Since the concept of “future community” was put forward by the Drucker Foundation in the United States at the end of the 20th century, “future community” has expanded from the city to the countryside. Governments and scholars of various countries have started the practical and theoretical research into “future community”. Based on the theory of “village organism”, this paper constructs the structural model of the future countryside, and then constructs the health evaluation index system of the future countryside. This effectively makes up for the shortcomings of previous studies, and provides a new perspective and systematic analysis method for the study of community and village issues. Using entropy weight method and TOPSIS method, Jindong District was used as a case to conduct the quantitative evaluation of the development level of 46 administrative villages in the region. The results showed that: (1) the development level of the villages in the region was not high, and far from the requirements of future countryside, indicating that countryside revitalization has a long way to go; (2) within the region, competitive convergence occurs in the development process of all villages; (3) of the two major countryside systems in the future, the health level of the physical space system is higher than that of the social system, indicating that the local government pays more attention to the construction of the “external” image of the countryside and ignores the improvement of the “internal” function of the countryside society; (4) in the prospective construction of nine scenes of future countryside, an observable trend towards “grouping” differentiation emerges. This phenomenon underscores existing deficiencies in countryside construction, indicating that countryside areas still fail to realize the function of being “self-hematopoietic”. The determination and selection of sample indicators exhibit regional cultural disparities, permitting various regions to customize indicators with their specific contextual circumstances. Nevertheless, the universal approach of treating countryside areas as holistic entities remains essential in scholarly inquiry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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23 pages, 1120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Digital Finance on Industrial Green Transformation: Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt

by Liuhua Fang, Bin Zhao, Wenyu Li, Lixia Tao, Luyao He, Jianyu Zhang and Chuanhao Wen

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12799; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712799 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1200

Abstract

Profound changes in information technology have resulted in the rapid development of the digital economy, digitalizing the financial sector and deepening green reforms. Consequently, digital finance has become an important driving force of green development. Using the entropy value method and the global super-efficiency slacks-based measure model, this paper measures the extent of digital finance and industrial green transformation in 108 prefecture-and-higher-level cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2011 to 2020. It empirically examines the effects and impact mechanisms of digital finance development on industrial green transformation based on the two-way fixed effects, mediated effects, and spatial econometric models. Digital finance can significantly drive industrial green transformation, and this finding remains robust to the exclusion of macro-systematic effects and robustness tests like the introduction of instrumental variables. Digital finance has a positive spatial spillover effect on industrial green transformation. Industrial structure upgrading and green technology innovation are the key ways in which digital finance impacts industrial green transformation; their respective mediating effect contribution rates are 18.70% and 20.93%. In the context of the impact of digital finance on industrial green transformation, significant heterogeneity was observed across regions, the administrative rank of cities, and the degree of developed traditional finance. Based on these conclusions, this paper presents policy recommendations like giving full play to digital finance’s green driving effect, optimizing digital finance’s green empowerment mechanism, implementing regional industrial green differentiated development based on local policies, and encouraging support for green innovation pilots. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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27 pages, 2391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cultural Capital of Sea Salt Farming in Ban Laem District of Phetchaburi Province as per the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

by Sittichok Plaiphum and Roengchai Tansuchat

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11947; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511947 - 3 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1707

Abstract

This study delved into the cultural capital, value systems, and social organizations in sea salt farming in Ban Laem District of Phetchaburi Province, considered within the framework of GIAHS. The research methodology involved qualitative tools such as in-depth interviews, SWOT analysis, and TOWS matrix, and focus group discussions with key stakeholders such as salt farmers, community leaders, local government officials, and scholars. The study underlines that the sea salt production in Ban Laem District is deeply rooted in both tangible and intangible cultural traits, contributing to the area’s distinct cultural identity. The traditional ceremonies, foods, crafts, and tools associated with salt production form the tangible cultural aspects unique to the area. Sea salt farming’s historical, aesthetic, scientific, economic, and social values accentuate its community-wide importance. However, challenges such as traditional knowledge and practice erosion, skilled labor scarcity, limited comprehension of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), environmental degradation, and globalization’s impact threaten the cultural authenticity of the salt farming community. To counter these challenges, this study recommends preservation of traditional knowledge, cultural value awareness, reinforced environmental conservation, and fostering collaborations among salt farmers, governmental bodies, and the private sector. Collectively, these efforts will contribute to the sustainability and resilience of Ban Laem’s sea salt cultural heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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16 pages, 2618 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution in the Impact of Pro-Poor Policies on Farmers’ Confidence: Based on Age-Period-Cohort Analysis Perspective

by Zheng Wang, Mingwei Yang, Kailu Guo, Zhiyong Zhang and Ying Shi

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10525; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310525 - 4 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1033

Abstract

The Age-Period-Cohort Model is used in this paper to examine how farmers’ confidence has changed in response to various measures for reducing poverty, based on data from 13,559 household tracking surveys, with a view to inform rural poverty reduction policies within Targeted Poverty Reduction Strategy (TPRS). The findings indicate that: (1) Farmers who get monetary grants have significantly lower levels of confidence than farmers who do not. The difference between the ages of 18 and 70, where this issue is more noticeable, grew between 2013 and 2018. (2) Between 2010 and 2018, transfer employment was more likely than monetary handouts to increase farmers’ confidence, and this difference was particularly obvious among young people (18–45 years old) and elderly individuals (65+). (3) The confidence gap between farmers with and without medical insurance has widened over time. Farmers with medical insurance have significantly higher confidence than farmers without it. Lessons for TPRS suggest that to reduce poverty among poor groups in a way that is both stable and sustainable, poverty alleviation strategies should take psychological factors into account when evaluating their efficacy. They should also concentrate on how employment boosts self-confidence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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18 pages, 314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Citizen Participation for Sustainability and Resilience: A Generational Cohort Perspective on Community Brand Identity Perceptions and Development Priorities in a Rural Community

by Ivan Paunovic, Cathleen Müller and Klaus Deimel

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7307; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097307 - 27 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1470

Abstract

Citizen participation is deemed to be crucial for sustainability and resilience planning. However, generational equity has been missing from recent academic discussions regarding sustainability and resilience. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to reintroduce the topic of the existence or absence of an intergenerational consensus on the example of a rural community and its perceived brand image attributes and development priorities. The research is based on primary data collected through an online survey, with a sample size of N = 808 respondents in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, Germany. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test for the presence and/or absence of consensus among the five generations regarding brand image attributes and development priorities. The findings point to divergence between what the median values indicate as the most relevant brand image attributes and development priorities among the citizens and the areas where the Kruskal–Wallis test shows that an intergenerational consensus either does or does not exist. The results imply the need for new concepts and applied approaches to citizen participation for sustainability and resilience, where intergenerational dialogue and equity-building take center stage. In addition to the importance of the theory of citizen participation for sustainability and resilience, our results provide ample evidence for how sustainability and resilience planning documents could potentially benefit from deploying the concept of intergenerational equity. The present research provides sustainability and political science with new conceptual and methodological approaches for taking intergenerational equity into account in regional planning processes in rural and other areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

20 pages, 1430 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influencing Factors of Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Farmer Households Participating in Understory Economy: Evidence from China

by Yaru Chen, Xiao Han, Siyao Lv, Boyao Song, Xinye Zhang and Hongxun Li

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010688 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2145

Abstract

To promote the sustainable development of agriculture and forestry economy, it is of great significance to guide farmers to consciously pursue pro-environmental behaviors in the development of the understory economy. Based on field survey data from Yong’an city of Fujian Province and Luoshan County of Henan Province, factor analysis and Oprobit models were mainly used to analyze the influencing factors and influencing the degree of the pro-environmental behaviors of farmer households participating in the understory economy. Quantitative data showed that individual characteristics of farmers (i.e., gender, education, career, feasibility evaluation, and the proportion of farming labor to household labor) and forest land management status (i.e., forest land transfer, the working time in understory economy, and proportion of understory economic income) have an obvious effect on the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors. Findings also revealed three key variables (i.e., the farmers’ environmental perception, social constraints, and government incentives) that are associated with the willingness to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. The contribution ratios of the influencing factors were environmental perception, social constraints, and government incentives. In addition to economic benefits, perceptual factors and informal institutions also play an important role in driving farmers to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. Based on the findings, it is necessary to strengthen the publicity and the education of farmers, increase environmental responsibility, accelerate the establishment and improvement of ecological reward-and-punishment mechanisms, and enhance the training of green production techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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19 pages, 2326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Development of Skills as a Key Factor of the Cooperative System: Analysis of the Cooperative of Artisan Women Tejemujeres-Gualaceo-Ecuador from the WWP Model

by Mauricio Ortuño, Ignacio De los Ríos and Susana Sastre-Merino

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16233; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316233 - 5 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1267

Abstract

This research analyzed the importance of competencies within the development of the cooperative system through the case study of the Tejemujeres Women’s Artisan Cooperative, for which a documentary and field investigation was conducted with a descriptive and explanatory scope under a mixed approach. The importance of cooperatives as tools of social cohesion has been considered due to the progress of their members, their strengthening of social capital, and generation of the necessary conditions to adapt to the demands of the place in which they operate. From this perspective, research tools such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups were implemented for a total of 85 participants of the entity under a census and incidental sample approach to analyze each of the responses under the Working With People model, from its dimensions: ethical-social, technical-business, and political-contextual. These responses have been collected in such a way that the skills of the most significant relevance to artisans are identified, which have allowed the strengthening of the cooperative system. The results demonstrate the level of incidence of a group of indigenous women from the rural area of the Gualaceo canton. The development of their skills has participated in the construction and implementation of a social model of company cooperative that—due to the complexity of its members and its environment—must face several scenarios to adequately articulate the social-business vision and achieve its sustainability over time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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19 pages, 3415 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investment Risk Analysis for Green and Sustainable Planning of Rural Family: A Case Study of Tibetan Region

by Yan Liu, Quaner Wen, Abbas Ali Chandio, Long Chen and Lu Gan

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11822; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911822 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1286

Abstract

In China, Tibetan areas have generally high altitudes and abnormal climates, and many areas have faced a variety of risks such as food security, land degradation disasters, and diseases. The Tibetan region’s economic development level is lower than that of the rest of China. Rural households and communities primarily rely on agricultural-related activities for a living, and their investment opportunities are limited due to unfavorable land and climate conditions. This study aims to investigate how to overcome such impacts by providing efficient strategies of green and sustainable planning through risk analysis and reasonable portfolio. By investigating the asset composition of 271 rural households in Tibetan area of Sichuan, the potential risks are analyzed by using the block diagram and investment portfolio to avoid risk is calculated and discussed by Markowitz model. The results show that the asset composition of rural households in ethnic area is unreasonable. Most of families highly prefer real assets, this may due to their risk attitudes and resistance capacities. From rural households’ perspective, in order to adapt to suboptimal environmental conditions, rural households should diversify their livelihood strategies and make appropriate investment portfolios. Moreover, the research findings also provide useful strategy suggestions for green and sustainable development of people’s livelihood planning in ethnic areas of China as the Tibetan region in Sichuan. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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19 pages, 590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Coupling Mechanism and the Measurement of Science and Technology Innovation and Rural Revitalization Systems

by Caiyun Guo, Yujing Zhang, Zhiqiang Liu and Na Li

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10343; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610343 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1834

Abstract

Under the concept of scientific and technological progress and new rural development, the relationship between scientific and technological innovation and rural revitalization is becoming closer and closer. The purpose of this study is to reveal the coupling coordination mechanism between the two and promote agricultural and rural construction and regional high-quality development through quantitative analysis and scientific decision making. This paper analyzes the systematic coupling mechanism of scientific and technological innovation and rural revitalization. An evaluation index system coupled with a coordination measure model and grey prediction GM (1,1) model are constructed. We demonstrate the implementation process of these models using data from Hebei province from 2010 to 2019. According to the application results, some suggestions for policy and measures are put forward. The results verify the coupling and coordination relationship between the two and the feasibility of the method. The results show that the state of coupling coordination of scientific and technological innovation and rural revitalization systems in Hebei province has transitioned from a mild imbalance to the primary coordination stage, and it is predicted that it will reach good coordination in 2024. This study provides theoretical and methodological support for the coupling coordination between regional scientific and technological innovation and rural revitalization and can serve as a useful reference for similar regional rural construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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14 pages, 887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Labor Migration on Chemical Fertilizer Application of Citrus Growers: Empirical Evidence from China

by Ruixin Zhang, Lei Luo, Yuying Liu and Xinhong Fu

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7526; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137526 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1568

Abstract

Due to the growing trend of rural labor migration, farmers’ labor allocation under the condition of constant time endowment has gradually become a key factor in the transformation of green agricultural production methods. Using the propensity score matching method, this paper verified the influence of labor migration on citrus growers’ fertilizer application using 814 survey data from Sichuan Province, China. The study found that the boosting effect of capacity accumulation brought on by farmers’ labor migration was greater than the weakening effect of labor constraints and that the average chemical fertilizer application per acre decreased from 6.95 to 6.74 after farmers’ labor migration, a 3.06 percent decrease. Second, labor migration reduces chemical fertilizer application by allowing farmers to acquire knowledge and technology for green agricultural production and to increase off-farm income. Third, the choice of labor migration by farmers with higher agricultural incomes and younger ages promotes a reduction in their chemical fertilizer application. Therefore, this paper makes the following suggestions: the government should appropriately guide farmers in their labor migration decisions, increase public awareness of green agricultural knowledge and technology, and encourage farmers to to invest their off-farm income in green production. Farmers with higher agricultural income and younger ages, in particular, should be encouraged to choose labor migration and train to become new agricultural business entities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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20 pages, 323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Service Utilization Improve Members’ Welfare? Evidence from Citrus Cooperatives in China

by Guoqiang Liu, Dakuan Qiao, Yuying Liu and Xinhong Fu

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6755; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116755 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1341

Abstract

Farmers’ professional cooperatives (hereinafter referred to as “cooperatives”) are an important carrier for small farmers to organically connect to the big market. Under the background of frequent phenomena such as generalization of cooperatives, cooperative alienation, empty shelled cooperatives and involution of cooperatives in China, whether cooperatives can improve members’ welfare has attracted the attention of all walks of life. Service is the essential attribute of cooperatives, and the key to the functioning of cooperatives is the services utilization by members (hereinafter referred to as “service utilization”). Therefore, examining the impact of service utilization on members’ welfare has important theoretical and practical significance, which helps to scientifically evaluate of the current value of cooperatives in China and then objectively respond to questions about the development of cooperatives. Thus, this study takes the micro-survey data of 74 citrus cooperatives and 524 citrus members in Citrus County, Sichuan Province, China as examples, and uses the endogenous switching model to empirically analyze the impact of service utilization on members’ welfare. The results show that the level of service utilization is not high, and only half of the members use cooperative services. However, service utilization can significantly improve members’ welfare. Specifically, the average treatment effect of service utilization on citrus yields, net returns and household income is respectively 285.446 kg/mu, 1290 yuan/mu and 4980 yuan/person. Simultaneously, service utilization can increase citrus yields, net returns and household income by 13.49%, 18.32% and 17.99% on average. Finally, some countermeasures and suggestions are put forward, such as actively publicizing cooperative’s services, guiding members to use cooperative’s services, improving the standardization level of cooperatives and strengthening policy support for cooperatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Development: Rural Communities, Resilience and Sustainability)

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