Prospects of multifunctional agriculture as a facilitator of sustainable rural development: Swedish experience of Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Agriculture remains one of the dominant activities in rural areas across the European Union (EU), not least in respect of land use and its impact on landscapes. The Agenda 2000 reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced rural development as an integrated part of agricultural policy. The present study focuses on the second pillar of CAP. Multifunctional farming, more than any other rural activity, has a role to play in integrating the natural environment with the cultural landscape and socio-economic development. The question of how multifunctional agriculture can facilitate sustainable rural development is addressed in terms of mechanisms and inherent possibilities. Results from a case study in Östergötland in Sweden are discussed in relation to five other European case studies. Some main findings are that Pillar 2 has made it possible for rural inhabitants to continue living in rural areas and that the policies are effective in identifying and supporting new opportunities for farm diversification. The traditional agricultural landscape can be seen as a key component in various diversification activities in rural areas, contributing to economic as well as social and environmental sustainability.     

Palaeosurfaces and major valleys in the area of the Kjǿlen Mountains,southern Norway - consequences of uplift and climatic change

Protected area management in Norway is undergoing institutional changes with the implementation of management models aimed at increased public participation. At the same time tourism enterprises are increasing in number within the protected areas. Greater levels of interaction with stakeholders place new demands on lead institutions in terms of communication, transparency, involvement, and power sharing. A governance perspective was used to examine some facets of the interaction between a local council managing a national park in Norway and tourism companies using the park for their operations. The main objective was to assess how the tourism sector perceives the cooperation and interface with the management institution. Semi-structured interviews were used, together with a framework of United Nations Development Programme principles of good governance: legitimacy and voice, direction, performance, accountability, and fairness. The results showed rather negative evaluations by the tourism sector, and operators expressed views, implying that the current management model fails to achieve most of the principles of good governance. Although based on a one-sided view by one group of stakeholders, the study suggests that lack of access to important processes and decisions, perceived bias towards traditional conservation, neglect of cultural heritage, and undue restrictions on access could have serious implications for developing an effective management model.     

Floribec: The life and death of a tourism-based transnational community

The authors outline how a tourist destination can morph into a tourism-based transnational community. A three-phase model is designed to explore the touristification process of a transnational community. The phases are the adoption of a tourist destination, the transformation of the destination into a tourism-based transnational community, and decline under real estate and ageing population pressures.     

Accuracy of forecasting in a Nordic paper mill's supply chain: A case study

The article compares the accuracy of forecasted and actual supply chain cost and price factors in a Nordic paper mill's sales to customers in two large European countries. Empirical longitudinal research data covering the years between 2002 and 2008 were obtained from a large integrated Finnish paper mill, and consisted of sales volumes, paper prices, variable costs, and transport costs. It was expected that the mill would be able to forecast demand, prices and costs accurately, but the empirical findings showed that the forecasts for paper price, demand, and cost varied from one market to another and were not highly accurate. In addition, the forecasting of gross margins seemed to be very inexact. It is concluded that there is a need for more reliable forecasting methods in the paper industry to anticipate economic development as paper demand and costs change.     

中国农业地理集聚格局演化及其机制

通过对1981～2008年12类农作物种植重心、基尼系数、空间自相关和专业化指数的计算,探讨了中国(不包括港、澳、台地区)种植业的空间集聚格局及演化路径,并从演化经济地理视角构建分析框架探讨其演化机制。结果显示:(1)中国种植业整体上空间集聚程度逐渐增大,区域专业化和多样化程度逐步加强。(2)与制造业地理集聚总体呈现"南下东进"不同,种植业地理集聚逐步"南下西进",从东部省份向中西部省份转移,东北地区的三江平原和松嫩平原也是重要的集聚地,而昔日鱼米之乡的优势已逐渐下降。(3)农业地理集聚格局的演变经历了由自然集聚向社会集聚进而形成完善的农业生产体系的过程,其中,自然集聚的作用日益减少,而社会集聚作用逐步增加。技术创新、制度创新等社会变异步伐的加快,也将进一步推进农业的地理集聚和空间重构。     

基于铁路客运网络的省际可达性及经济联系格局

基于铁路客运交通网络把各省会城市抽象为铁路网络中的节点,以2003和2008年省会城市间铁路客运网络的最短旅行时间为度量指标,对我国铁路客运网络的空间可达性及空间格局进行分析,测算各省区间的省际经济联系强度,进而探讨省际间经济联系的空间指向。研究表明:(1)经过第五、六次铁路客运提速,省际可达性获得了显著提升,尤其西部地区提升幅度更大,省际可达性表现出自东部沿海向西北内陆逐渐降低的圈层式空间格局,高于全国平均水平的地区范围在扩展,干线指向性越来越强;(2)各省区对外经济联系总量地域差异突出,东部地带省区的经济联系总量远高于中西部地带省区;(3)地区间经济联系依托京沪、京广以及京哈等主要铁路干线形成了省际联系的主导轴线,并且随着地区经济的发展和铁路网络的大幅度提速,地区经济联系的空间网络格局逐步形成。     

皖南国际旅游文化示范区文化旅游资源整合开发模式

文化旅游是当今世界旅游发展的主流,旅游与文化的关联度渗透性日益增强,如何提升旅游产品的文化内涵,是世界各地旅游业长远发展的关键问题。皖南国际旅游文化示范区包括黄山、池州、宣城、芜湖、马鞍山、铜陵六市及安庆市的潜山县,辖34个县市区,总面积38220km²,总人口1069.6万,是安徽省最具开发潜力的旅游板块,文化旅游资源的品位和富集度都很高,但是在开发过程中存在着开发层次较低、产业链条脆弱、整体旅游形象不明、缺乏王牌产品、整合开发乏力等诸多问题。通过分析示范区文化旅游资源的开发现状及问题,提出了对文化旅游资源开发进行整合的模式,即以空间为依托的地域组合模式、以市场为依托的产品整合模式、以营销为依托的形象整合模式、以产业为依托的文化与旅游互动发展模式等。     

安徽省池州市2001～2010年可持续发展动态测度与分析

安徽池州市是国家首个生态经济示范区,近十年来,城镇化、工业化水平的快速提升加剧了其发展的风险性和不稳定性,可持续发展面临较大挑战。基于生态足迹模型,对池州市2001～2010年生态足迹供给与需求进行了时间序列测度与分析,利用灰色GM(1,1)模型对2015年、2020年人均生态足迹进行了预测。结果表明:池州市人均生态足迹由2001年的1.2458hm²/人上升至2010年的2.2483hm²/人,年平均增长11.14%,人均生态赤字由0.8445hm²/人扩大至2010年的1.8266hm²/人;居民消费水平、能源消费量与人均生态足迹相关系数分别为0.844、0.945,为生态足迹驱动因素;研究时段内,能源生态足迹年均增长速度为83.75%,明显快于生物资源生态足迹增长速度;万元GDP生态足迹由2001年的2.98hm²/万元下降至2010年的1.20hm²/万元。预测2015年人均生态足迹为3.2336hm²/人,生态赤字将增至2.7926hm²/人;2020年人均生态足迹为4.4896hm²/人,生态赤字将扩大到4.0308hm²/人。针对池州生态不安全的现状,从减少能源消费、改变消费方式、提高农作物单产等方面提出了减少生态足迹的政策建议。     

乡村转型发展特征评价及地域类型划分——以“苏南-陕北”样带为例

以"苏南-陕北"样带为案例区,评价分析了该区2000～2005年、2005～2008年乡村转型发展态势,并揭示了样带乡村转型发展的地域空间格局。结果表明:(1)2000～2005年期间,样带各县乡村发展度普遍较低但转型度普遍较高,低水平的乡村发展度与较高转型度造成样带各县不同程度的城乡不协调发展;2005～2008年期间,样带乡村系统普遍较快发展,各地城乡系统间的差异化发展局面得到初步改善;(2)"苏南-陕北"样带乡村转型发展呈现显著的地带性演变特征,各地转型发展的特征与结果同其所处的区位条件、经济基础、发展模式、政策要求等基本属性相匹配;(3)基于样带乡村转型发展评价结果,将样带划分为8个乡村转型发展地域类型区,各类型区之间因区位条件和资源禀赋的差异而选择不同乡村转型发展模式,并由此驱动资源环境和城乡经济系统的差异性变化。     

“后地段时代”我国房地产开发

由于社会经济发展和城市建设深化,房地产开发和城市建设的影响因子日益多元化,使得以地段为标志的区位因素在房地产开发和城市发展建设中的地位正趋于弱化,"唯地段论"日益面临挑战。在批评"唯地段论"的基础上,提出了"后地段时代"概念,分析了"后地段时代"房地产区位弱化的成因,探讨了"后地段时代"我国房地产开发受到的影响及调整思路。