2017 Volume 90 Issue 4 Pages 363-375
The Grain-for-Green Program (GGP) has been implemented to achieve both environmental preservation and the improvement of living conditions of residents in less-favored rural areas of China. The GGP is a project to encourage the planting of trees on steep croplands, provide cash for grains under set terms, and adjust the structure of the agricultural sector.
Despite the achievements of the GGP, there are numerous regions on the Loess Plateau where soil erosion is severe, and the aims of the GGP have not been achieved. Previous research has not been able to explain whether regional differences contributed to the failure of the GGP. Therefore it was difficult to estimate the causes of problems in every region and to identify effective solutions.
To clarify the comparative economic situation between administrative villages in the GGP region, nonhierarchical K-means cluster analysis was conducted using socioeconomic data in each of the regions in Wuqi county, Shaanxi province, where the GGP was first conducted to determine its effects. By focusing on both economic gaps and the location of administrative villages, this study clarified that administrative villages with a competitive edge are located along the river and arterial roads. It appeared that the reasons for this were corn cultivation and the introduction of greenhouses based on a land-use survey in the field. On the other hand, there are some problems such as low incomes and high ratios of households on welfare after the structural adjustment program of the agricultural sector under the GGP in hilly villages.
Geographical Review of Japa,. Ser. A, Chirigaku Hyoron
