On pathways of eco-farm development in China

Eco-farm, as a practical carrier of eco-agriculture, can meet the needs of eco-environmental protection, sustainable socio-economic development and market flexibility. It has obvious advantages in promoting specialization, standardization and green production of agriculture. Under this new approach, a number of typical cases of eco-farms have been developed. A questionnaires survey of 468 eco-farms was carried out in 15 provinces in East China during the period 2016-2017. The results showed that 90% of the farms were less than 15 years old. The average age of eco-farm managers was 47.5 years; 40% of eco-farms had land area of 6.6-16.6 hm² with lease fees of 11 040 ￥ per hectare per year. The farms with organization forms of corporation, cooperative and family accounted respectively for 23%, 40% and 30% of the surveyed farms. 73% of surveyed farms were certified for agro-products. The top five eco-measures applied in the eco-farms were organic manure/compost application, artificial/mechanical weeding, rotation, farmland cleaning and insecticide lamp/straw return. Ecological awareness of animal production farms was weak and adoption of ecological measures was not optimistic. In terms of farm input, fertilizer cost for crop farms and feed cost of animal farms were highest. The average labor wage of eco-farm was 30 000-40 000 ￥ per person per year. The range of profit of crop farms was -21% to 70%, that of animal farms was 13% to 337%, and that of farming-animal husbandry combination farms was -21% to 152%. 50% of the farms received agricultural subsidies. From the survey results, eco-farms in China had a strong momentum for development, but were still in the preliminary stage, lacking corresponding guidance. On the basis of the investigation, this paper also analyzed the problems and challenges faced in the development of eco-farms from the aspects of technology application, industrial integration, cost-benefits, sales channels and subsidy policies. To provide guidance for the healthy and orderly development of eco-farms in China, a series of corresponding countermeasures and suggestions were also advanced, which were 1) to establish national policy for transformation of conventional farm to eco-farm; 2) to improve cognition of eco-farm of government, farmers and publics; 3) to set up the construction and evaluation standards of eco-farm, and to implement the affirmation of eco-farm; 4) to recommend the eco-farm technologies and promote agricultural subsidies of eco-farm; 5) to construct information and selling internets of eco-agricultural products; 6) to launch scientific and technological research projects to provide technological support for eco-farm.