TY - JOUR

T1 - Rising labour costs and the future of rubber intercropping in China

AU - Jin, Shaoze

AU - Min, Shi

AU - Huang, Jikun

AU - Waibel, Hermann

N1 - Funding Information: We acknowledge the funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, project number 71761137002. This study was also conducted in the framework of the Sino-German ‘SURUMER Project,’ funded by the Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft, Technologie und Forschung (BMBF), FKZ: 01LL0919A.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - This study identifies the role of labour constraints in the use of rubber intercropping among smallholder farmers in Southwest China, drawing on a panel dataset collected from a sample of over 600 farm households in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (XSBN). The analysis is based on two models: (i) a panel model to analyze the factors responsible for the decline in the use of rubber intercropping among smallholder farmers; (ii) an instrumental variable and endogenous switching model to assess the specific effects of off-farm labour market participation on the use of intercropping. We find a strong effect of the costs of labour on rubber intercropping. The decline in the use of intercropping has a potentially negative impact on environmental sustainability and endangers the government’s environmentally friendly rubber programme. The paper explores possibilities of how farmers can maintain intercropping under increasing labour constraints such as more engagement of elderly and female household members. This may require modifications in intercropping technologies and training. The paper recommends that the government should encourage the continuation of intercropping by a combination of well-balanced measures that include on-farm research, participatory farmer training, payment for environmental services, and effective monitoring.

AB - This study identifies the role of labour constraints in the use of rubber intercropping among smallholder farmers in Southwest China, drawing on a panel dataset collected from a sample of over 600 farm households in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (XSBN). The analysis is based on two models: (i) a panel model to analyze the factors responsible for the decline in the use of rubber intercropping among smallholder farmers; (ii) an instrumental variable and endogenous switching model to assess the specific effects of off-farm labour market participation on the use of intercropping. We find a strong effect of the costs of labour on rubber intercropping. The decline in the use of intercropping has a potentially negative impact on environmental sustainability and endangers the government’s environmentally friendly rubber programme. The paper explores possibilities of how farmers can maintain intercropping under increasing labour constraints such as more engagement of elderly and female household members. This may require modifications in intercropping technologies and training. The paper recommends that the government should encourage the continuation of intercropping by a combination of well-balanced measures that include on-farm research, participatory farmer training, payment for environmental services, and effective monitoring.

KW - China

KW - intercropping

KW - labor costs

KW - Rubber

KW - smallholders

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105892441&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/14735903.2021.1918482

DO - 10.1080/14735903.2021.1918482

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85105892441

VL - 20

SP - 124

EP - 139

JO - International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

JF - International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

SN - 1473-5903

IS - 2

ER -