Study Of The Ecological Cost Of Grain Production In Different Types Of Zones

Grain is a special kind of strategic resources, food security plays an important role in ensuring and advancing economic sustainable development. However, Human activities and food production are bound to affect resources and the environment. For a long time the direct costs of food production have been calculated while ignoring ecological loss costs. The correct assessment of the ecological costs of food production is important. Such assessments can be used to properly evaluate the economic benefits of agricultural production, to realize sustainable development of the ecological economy, to regulate food production patterns, and to develop industrial policies. This paper chose three typical regions: Qiyang County in Hunan province, Quzhou County in Hebei province, and Changwu County in Shaanxi province, to analyze the ecological costs of food production separately in southern, middle, and northern part of China. While exploring the ecological costs of food production, this study according to soil and water loss theories and water environment pollution theories, using ecological and economic methods, basing on statistical data in 2008 and households investigation to analyze both the costs of ecological loss and direct production. In order to explore the ecological costs of food production more accurately, this study analyzes both the costs of ecological loss and direct production. In other words, the ecological costs are equal to the costs of ecological loss plus the costs of direct production. And we had detailed conclusions as follows:(1) The results showed that the grain producing costs of ecological loss in the hilly red soil region, gully area of Loess Plateau and alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in 2008 respectively were 0.30 Yuan/kg, 0.61 Yuan/kg, 0.10 Yuan/kg, the hilly red soil region> the gully area of Loess Plateau> alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the number of ecological loss in the hilly red soil region was equivalent to 5.35% of the total agricultural output, the number of ecological loss in the gully area of Loess Plateau was equivalent to 7.20% of the total crop output, and the number of ecological loss in alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain was equivalent to 1.99% of the total agricultural output. Therefore, in these three regions, we should valued ecological environment during grain production, once the ecological environment has been severely damaged, sustainable development of the ecological economy faces a severe test.(2) In the hilly red soil region, the ecological costs reached 3.19 Yuan/kg for early-season rice, 2.49 Yuan/kg for mid-season rice, and 3.06 Yuan/kg for late-season rice in 2008, while the unit sales were 1.76 Yuan/kg for early-season rice, 1.90 Yuan/kg for mid-season rice, and 1.84 Yuan/kg for late-season rice. In the gully area of Loess Plateau, the ecological costs reached 2.42 Yuan/kg for wheat and 2.12 Yuan/kg for corn in 2008, while the unit sales were 1.70 Yuan/kg for wheat and 1.28 Yuan/kg for corn. And in alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the ecological costs reached 1.51 Yuan/kg for wheat and 1.12 Yuan/kg for corn in 2008, while the unit sales were 1.62 Yuan/kg for wheat and 1.38 Yuan/kg for corn. The ascending order of ecological costs: the hilly red soil region> the gully area of Loess Plateau> alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, but if subtract the labor force factor, the ascending order of ecological costs: the gully area of Loess Plateau> the hilly red soil region> alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. The whole benefit of households was minus, agriculture production was still poor benefit. The combination of high production costs and low income have affected sustainable development in these three regions and become a threat to these areas'food security.(3) Principal component analysis of the various factors affecting the ecological costs of food production in the hilly red soil region of southern China showed that, under current production conditions, moderate increases in the use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, agricultural machinery, plastic film, and labor inputs would reduce the ecological costs of rice production, the ecological loss costs were basis of grain production, rice yields and organic fertilizer inputs were the important factors affecting the ecological costs of rice production, irrigation costs had little effect on the ecological costs in this region because of the abundance of water resources. The analysis of grey relationships among various factors affecting the ecological costs of grain production in the gully area of Loess Plateau indicated that, yields, sown area, and agricultural mechanical costs were the important factors affecting the ecological costs of grain production, while chemical fertilizer costs and organic fertilizer costs had less impact on the ecological costs of grain production. The analysis of grey relationships among various factors affecting the ecological costs of grain production in alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai plain indicated that, yields, acreage, agriculture mechanical costs and labor costs were the important factors of affecting the ecological costs of food production, while chemical fertilizer costs, organic fertilizer costs, pesticides costs and irrigation costs had less impact on the ecological costs of grain production. In the grain production process, yields, labor costs, agriculture mechanical costs and acreage were the important factors of affecting the ecological costs of food production. In order to realize sustainable development of the regional ecological economy, we should moderate increase the inputs of land resources, scientific and technical levels, improve the comprehensive quality of agriculture laborers. Pesticides costs and chemical fertilizer costs had less impact on the ecological costs of grain production. In order to ensure the safety of agricultural products quality, sustainable development of the ecological economy and agriculture, we should moderate reduce the inputs of chemical fertilizer and Pesticides.(4) The ecological costs of grain production declined as the amount of cultivated land per family increased in the hilly red soil region, gully area of Loess Plateau and alluvial region of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. This indicates that if the government expands the scale of family agricultural production in these three regions, then the ecological costs of grain production would be reduced, the economic efficiency of agricultural production would be increased, and the mood of agricultural laborers would be improved. These changes would be conducive to achieving sustainable development of the ecological economy of these regions.(5) If we research the ecological costs of food production in Dongting plain of southern China, we can calculate the ecological costs are 0.70 Yuan/kg～1.00 Yuan/kg according to research experience of these three regions. The ascending order of ecological costs: the plain of southern China< the plain of northern China, the hilly region of southern China< the hilly region of northern China, the ecological costs of food production of southern China are lower than the ecological costs of food production of northern China in the same type of land. So from a single angle consideration that is the ecological costs of grain production, in order to realize sustainable development of the ecological economy, and ensure the food security, we should moderate expand the grain production scale of southern China and decrease the grain production scale of northern China.