Transformation of the Rural Economy in Rubber producing Areas in Southwest China

亚洲发展中国家的农村地区发生了重大变化。农业生产力提高了，农村经济实现了商业化和多样化，贫困最终减少了。与此同时，农业从传统的、自给自足的、低投入的系统向面向市场的、高外部投入的系统转变，造成了自然资源和环境的退化。此外，农业经历了大量的劳动力外流，导致劳动力短缺，农村社会生活发生了重大变化。因此，研究面临的挑战是更好地了解这些过程，并确定有助于尽量减少不利影响和确定可持续发展道路的方法。中国西南部云南省的傣族自治州（XSBN）是在充满挑战的环境中实现农村经济快速转型的一个很好的例子。该地区是典型的东南亚山区，特别是在湄公河国家。在这个地区，可以发现各种少数民族群体，他们也存在于老挝、缅甸、泰国和越南等邻国。作为BMBF资助的湄公河地区可持续橡胶研究项目（SURUMER）的项目成员，申请人与其中国研究伙伴合作开展了与该主题相关的前期研究。特别值得一提的是，在2013年和2015年建立了一个由XSBN约600名橡胶农民组成的独特小组。该提案的核心是通过增加另一个面板波来增强现有面板，并扩大样本以包括非橡胶农民。随着面板数据扩展到三个时期，拟议的项目提供了独特的机会，以强有力的经验观察为基础，对发展中国家不太有利和生态敏感地区的农业转型有更深入的了解，同时为改进方法提供了很大的潜力。

Rural areas in developing countries in Asia underwent significant changes. Productivity in agriculture has increased, commercialization and diversification of the rural economy has taken place and ultimately poverty has declined. At the same time the transformation of agriculture from traditional, self-sufficiency and low input systems to market orientated systems with high external inputs has caused degradation of natural resources and the environment. Furthermore, agriculture has experienced significant outmigration of laborers which has led to the shortage of labor and to major changes in the social life of rural villages. Hence, there is a challenge for research to generate a much better understanding of these processes and to identify ways that can help to minimize downside effects and identifying sustainable development paths. A good example of a rapid transformation of the rural economy in challenging environments is the Dai Autonomous Prefecture (XSBN) of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. The region is typical for the mountainous areas of Southeast Asia especially in the Mekong countries. In this region a diversity of ethnic minority groups can be found who are also present in neighboring countries like Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. As a project member of the a BMBF funded research project Sustainable Rubber in the Mekong Region (SURUMER) the applicant in cooperation with his Chinese research partner have undertaken prior research related to this topic. In particular, a unique panel with two waves in 2013 and 2015 of some 600 rubber farmers in XSBN has been established. The core of this proposal is to enhance the existing panel by adding another panel wave and expand the sample to include also non rubber farmers. With a panel data expanded to three periods the proposed project offers the unique opportunity to generate a deeper understanding of agricultural transformation in less favored and ecologically sensitive regions in developing countries which is based on strong empirical observations and at the same time offers high potential for methodological improvements.