China

This paper comprehensively examines the organizational systems of agricultural extension in China. The organizations of agricultural extension in China have been gradually diversified over 30 years’ reform and adjustment. Suggestions on how to optimize the internal organizational structures, how to encourage the interaction and coordination among different types of organizations, and how to coordinate the relationships between organizations and external environment are proposed. »

This case study (PDF) by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) focuses on China’s ability to get ‘more crop per drop’ by improving agricultural water use. The case study identifies four factors driving improvements: Chinese decision-makers’ balancing of needs for water for food versus growth; institutional and policy reform; major government investment; and local technical, economic and regulatory programmes. »

This article (PDF) of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), summarizes some realistic methods for reducing methane emissions in rice production. The authors present two case studies on efforts to mitigate methane emissions, such as irrigation management, the use of suitable rice cultivars (e.g. water-saving and drought-resistant rice, WDR) and combinations of different fertilizers. »

Nanotechnologies have been less developed in agronomy than other disciplines, due to less investment, but nanotechnologies have the potential to improve agricultural production. In this article at Springer Link (PDF), the authors review more than 200 reports on nanoscience in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture in China since the 1990s. The major findings of the research are: »

This joint report (PDF) by the World Bank and the Development Research Center of China’s State Council, addresses the challenges and opportunities of urbanization in China and aims to help China forge a new model of urbanization. The report includes six priority areas for a policy reform for urbanization. »

Morningstar analysts published a report (PDF) that covers aspects of the emerging markets’ diet as an important growth driver for consumption– from trends in meat and dairy consumption, to those in beer and processed food. The focus of the paper is on China, India, Brazil, Southeast Asia (mainly Indonesia), and sub-Saharan Africa. By use of global and country-level data, links between diets and incomes and the important roles of urbanization, culture, religion, geography and biology are examined. »