Research On Farmer's Family Operating Behavior In Ecological Fragile Areas

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the most typical region that is ecologically fragile, with frequent natural disasters and terrible ecological environment. The situation has created huge negative impact on the local farmers'survival and development. Therefore, it is pressing to solve the conflicts between regional ecological fragility and local farmer's family operating behavior. This paper focuses on researching the family operating behavior of micro farmers of typical counties in Tibet, using204panel data samples from the National rural area observation stations. The regression estimation methods used in the paper include linear model, pooled Ordinary Least Squares model and random effects model. The paper analyzes different factors relating to farmers' operating behavior in farming and livestock sectors and their per capita income. Moreover, a case study on Naqu's Cordyceps sinensis industry is designed to showcase the relationship between the special industry development in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and local farmer's family operating behavior. The main conclusions of this paper include:Firstly, using the quantitative evaluation method for ecological fragility this paper shows that Tibet is a typical ecologically fragile region in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Specifically, the degrees of ecological fragility of Naqu, Rikaze and Lhasa are0.560,0.539and0.347, Naqu and Rikaze are highly fragile, and Lhasa is medium fragile.Secondly, this paper analyzes factors relating to total sown areas, and predicts in theory that the endowment effect of internal factors exists, while among the external factors, the substitution effect of price is larger than the income effect. Family endowment factors including "Number of household labor","Number of labor working outside"," Original value of fixed assets for production at the end of year" and "Whether or not the household possesses agricultural machineries" have positive effect on the total sown areas, and the empirical result doesn't reject the endowment effect in theory. Moreover, the product of "Average grain price" and "Whether grain is sold or not" has significant impact on total sown areas, we can explain this Variable through substitution effect and income effect. According to the empirical result, substitution effect is bigger than income effect, which has increased the total sown areas.Thirdly, based on the analysis of factors relating to the livestock industry, this paper shows that the theoretical prediction of endowment effect of internal factors stands, and among the external factors, the income effect of price is larger than substitution effect. The impact of family endowment factors including "Number of household labor" and "Number of labor working outside" on the stock-farming industry is equal to the theoretical value. The product of "Average grain price" and "Whether grain is sold or not" shows that the income effect of livestock industry is larger than the substitution effect, which is the same with the empirical result. The explanation is that currently the production of all lands in Tibet cannot meet the daily needs of family food consumption, and that is why the income effect is relatively higher. Fourthly, according to the analysis of factors relating to farmers'per capita income, family endowment factors play a decisive role in farmers'income. The per capita income of farmers in Naqu county, Duilongdeqing county and Rikaze city have all improved. Based on the analysis of factors relating to per capita income, variables including "Whether or not the household has a government official or a Communist Party member","Number of household labor","Number of years of education" and "Original value of fixed assets for production at the end of year" have significant impact on per capita income of farmers. This shows family endowment factors remain decisive in residents'income. Therefore, the social mechanisms for avoiding income risk should be gradually strengthened.Fifthly, according to the case study of agricultural special industry, it shows that Naqu's Cordyceps sinensis industry still brings negative impact on farmer's family operating behavior along with the enormous economic benefits, which includes affecting the basic position of agricultural industry, low level of Cordyceps resource's development and utilization, serious environmental degradation, and even worse, causing social tensions. In the future, we should guide the farmers to explore the comprehensive and sustainable development path, in order to increase farmers'income, protecting the environment and consolidating the basic position of agricultural industry.Lastly, this paper presents some recommendations on how to develop agricultural industries in terms of enhancing family endowment factors, improving technical capacity, deepening price guidance, building the hedging mechanisms for social income risk, strengthening regional planning and protecting ecological environment, and so on.