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Sustainability of Agricultural Diversity in the Farm Households of Southern Tibet

Author

Listed:
  • Colin Brown

    (School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia)

  • Lava Prakash Yadav

    (School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia)

  • Jing Zhang

    (School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia)

  • Deqing Zhouma

    (Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850009, China)

Abstract

Farming systems in Tibet are undergoing significant change as farm households are encouraged to shift from more subsistence-oriented staple cereals to more intensive, diverse, and integrated forage crop livestock systems reliant on engagement with external input and product markets. This is occurring at a time of rapid agrarian transition with more and more of the livelihoods, income, and expenditures of farm households dependent on off-farm sources. Modernizing an agricultural sector that can sustain the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and meet the demands of an ever more discerning customer base all within the confines of a limited resource base has proved a major R&D and policy challenge for Tibetan and Chinese officials, let alone the farmers and market actors impacted by these developments. In this paper, key drivers impacting diversity in Tibetan farm households, including agrarian transition and demographic, infrastructure, and food price developments, are outlined. The impact on household economics and on the environment of the more intensive and diverse farming systems are then discussed, along with the attitudes of farm households to the changing farming systems and to their future in farming. The paper finds significant labor and environmental challenges that farm households and policy makers must grapple with if the farming system and agrarian transition trajectories are to be sustained.

Suggested Citation

  • Colin Brown & Lava Prakash Yadav & Jing Zhang & Deqing Zhouma, 2019. "Sustainability of Agricultural Diversity in the Farm Households of Southern Tibet," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:20:p:5756-:d:277500
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brown, Colin & Waldron, Scott, 2013. "Agrarian change, agricultural modernization and the modelling of agricultural households in Tibet," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 83-94.
    2. Colin G. Brown, 2008. "Sustainable Development in Western China," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4119.
    3. Ben White, 2012. "Agriculture and the Generation Problem: Rural Youth, Employment and the Future of Farming," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(6), pages 9-19, November.
    4. Zhang, Jing & Brown, Colin & Qiao, Guanghua & Zhang, Bao, 2019. "Effect of Eco-compensation Schemes on Household Income Structures and Herder Satisfaction: Lessons From the Grassland Ecosystem Subsidy and Award Scheme in Inner Mongolia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 46-53.
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    Cited by:

    1. Colin Brown & Jing Zhang & Deqing Zhuoga & Weisi Baiyang & Lava Yadav, 2021. "Market integration and agricultural development: The case of Tibet's ruminant livestock industries," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(4), pages 818-837, October.
    2. Lin Zhu & Mingying Yang & Wenzhuo Li & Heping Liao & Han Huang, 2021. "The Spatial–Temporal Changes of the Coupling Relationship among Agricultural Labor Force, Agricultural Economy, and Farmland in Chongqing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-17, August.

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