Are the poor benefiting from China's land conservation program?

Authors

Emi Uchida, University of Rhode Island
Jintao Xu
Zhigang Xu
Scott Rozelle

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

8-2007

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of the largest conservation set-aside program in the developing world: China's Grain for Green program, on poverty alleviation in rural areas. Based on a large-scale survey, we find that the program was implemented mostly in the areas of China that are fairly poor. In addition, we show that income from livestock activities and some types of asset holdings of participants have increased significantly more than those of non-participants (due to program effects). Only weak evidence is provided demonstrating that participating households have begun to shift their labor into the off-farm sectors. Overall, the results suggest that the program has been moderately successful in achieving its poverty alleviation objectives.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Uchida, E., Jintao, X., Zhingang, X., & Rozelle, S. (2007). Are the poor benefiting from China's land conservation program?. Environment and Development Economics, 12, 593-620. doi:10.1017/S1355770X07003713

Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1355770X07003713

Publisher Statement

Copyright 2007 Cambridge University Press.