Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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Author: search.filters.author.Liu YSubject: search.filters.subject.China

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    The Role of Agriculture Cooperatives in Green Agri-Food Value Chains in China: Cases in Shandong Province
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-08-14) Liu Y; Garnevska E; Shadbolt N; El Bilali H
    While escalating environment and food safety challenges underscore the need for sustainable agri-food systems, promoting green agri-food production provides a promising pathway. The green agri-food value chain integrates green agri-food production with coordinated value-adding activities across the value chain. In developing such value chains, agricultural cooperatives emerge as a key player. This research integrates sustainability and value chain theories, aiming to study the role of China’s cooperatives in enabling green production and green value chains. It used qualitative methodology and interviews with management and members of three green vegetable cooperatives in Shandong Province, China, to offer an initial examination into this research area. The findings reveal that cooperatives play an important role in the green vegetable value chain and have a different level of vertical integration, with some having control over the whole value chain from input supply to retail. They also provide essential input, technical, and market support to enable green vegetable production and facilitate various value-adding activities. The study offers valuable insights into recommendations for enhancing value addition and facilitating green value chains. It also holds practical implications for practitioners and policymakers to strengthen cooperative development in China as an important intermediary for advancing agriculture sustainability.
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    RADseq-based population genomic analysis and environmental adaptation of rare and endangered recretohalophyte Reaumuria trigyna.
    (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2024-03-01) Dang Z; Li J; Liu Y; Song M; Lockhart PJ; Tian Y; Niu M; Wang Q; Varshney R
    Genetic diversity reflects the survival potential, history, and population dynamics of an organism. It underlies the adaptive potential of populations and their response to environmental change. Reaumuria trigyna is an endemic species in the Eastern Alxa and West Ordos desert regions in China. The species has been considered a good candidate to explore the unique survival strategies of plants that inhabit this area. In this study, we performed population genomic analyses based on restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to understand the genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and differentiation of the species. Analyses of 92,719 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) indicated that overall genetic diversity of R. trigyna was low (HO = 0.249 and HE = 0.208). No significant genetic differentiation was observed among the investigated populations. However, a subtle population genetic structure was detected. We suggest that this might be explained by adaptive diversification reinforced by the geographical isolation of populations. Overall, 3513 outlier SNPs were located in 243 gene-coding sequences in the R. trigyna transcriptome. Potential sites under diversifying selection occurred in genes (e.g., AP2/EREBP, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, FLS, and 4CL) related to phytohormone regulation and synthesis of secondary metabolites which have roles in adaptation of species. Our genetic analyses provide scientific criteria for evaluating the evolutionary capacity of R. trigyna and the discovery of unique adaptions. Our findings extend knowledge of refugia, environmental adaption, and evolution of germplasm resources that survive in the Ordos area.
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    Organizational structures of agriculture cooperatives in China: Evidence from the green vegetable sector
    (Elsevier B.V., 2024-06-19) Liu Y; Garnevska E; Shadbolt N
    China's agriculture cooperatives are playing a pivotal role in promoting rural development and boosting farmers’ income. As a result of the rapidly changing external environment, diverse types of cooperatives have emerged. However, a comprehensive understanding of the organizational structures, including ownership, control, and benefit rights, of different types of cooperatives, is limited. This study analyzes the organizational structures of two types of cooperatives in China: entrepreneur-led cooperatives and government-led cooperatives. Qualitative methodology was used in this study, including semi-structured interviews with four green vegetable production cooperatives in Shandong province. Results reveal the structural differences between these two types of case cooperatives. Despite the shared ownership, control, and benefit rights among members, entrepreneur-led cooperatives are characterized by the dominance of core members in capital contribution, control rights, and dividend distribution; whereas government-led cooperatives distribute those rights more equally among all members. The findings in this study present a more comprehensive landscape of the organizational structures of China's cooperatives. Empirically, it demonstrates how cooperatives can evolve and vary across laws and cultures, even within the same legislative background. Additionally, it offers crucial insights for these cooperatives to develop and sustain long-term vitality.
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    China's Changing Alcohol Market and Need for an Enhanced Policy Response: A Narrative Review
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-05-11) Liu S; Huang F; Zhu X; Zhou S; Si X; Zhao Y; Liu Y; Zhang X; Casswell S; Tchounwou PB
    This study describes trends in alcohol consumption in the context of an expanding commercial context, current policy responses, and flaws in relation to international best practice for alcohol control in China. We surveyed the literature and other documents in Chinese or English up to December 2020 on policy responses to alcohol consumption and harm, industry structure, and marketing practices in China. Databases searched included PubMed, China National Knowledge Internet, Wanfang Data, Web of Science, and Baidu Scholar. We also scanned the official websites of government organizations and gathered information using snowballing. We analyzed existing alcohol policy against evidence-based, cost-effective policies for reducing alcohol harm. Our findings show that although some restrictive policies have been enacted with potential impacts on alcohol harm, they are not comprehensive, and some are poorly executed. The long history of alcohol use remains an important element in alcohol consumption by the Chinese population. However, alcohol marketing and promotion, ease of access, and affordability have become increasingly prominent. The gaps identified in alcohol policy suggest improved strategies and measures to reduce the harmful use of alcohol are urgently needed in China.