Farmers’ responses to non-chemical-fertilizer-utilization policy in the source region of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Transfer project

Abstract

The water shortage is a major issue to constrict the development of North China, especially Beijing. The South-to-North Water Transfer project was constructed to solve this issue, by diverting sufficient water from the southern part of China to North China. One of the water protection policies was issued by the Chinese government is the Non-Chemical-Fertilizer-Utilization Policy. This policy will influence the farmers living in the source regions of the middle route of this hydrological project. The aims of this thesis are to investigate the response of these farmers in their daily lives and to understand how the local farmers arrive at the final consequences in this instance. Three questions are proposed: 1) How will those farmers respond to this non-chemical-fertilizer-utilization policy? 2) What are the impacts of this policy? 3) What does the factor influence their responses? This thesis applied plenty of interdisciplinary theories to explain the farmers’ responses comprehensively, mainly from two perspectives the attitude and behavior of them. The research questions are solved by analyzing the data collected from a case study located in the source region. The main research methods used in this thesis are semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys, supplied by the direct observation in fieldwork and the secondary source from the internet.

The findings state that the responses of farmers towards the policy are various, three main responses are detected, the resistance, the conformity, and the anti-compliance. Even though they hold different attitudes, the ultimate consequence of behavior is the same. No one obeys the policy. The thesis finds there is a change in the implementation of the policy, consequently, the results of the responses in the two phases are different. The finding concludes the changes in the agriculture structure in this village. The thesis also reveals the main factors influencing the response of farmers, and they are economically rational individuals.