Previous ACIAR projects have led to an improved understanding of Chinese agricultural and forestry policies, and also facilitated the development of institutional and technical capacity. One project titled 'Sustainable land use change in north west China' under the 'Conversion of Cropland to Forest and Grassland' program identified problems associated with the Program and showed it was possible and desirable to better target environmental considerations and improve cost-effectiveness of the Program. This project is using this base to investigate the potential of policy alternatives that will improve the cost-effectiveness of the various land-use change policies that the Chinese Government currently finances. Researchers will undertake a comprehensive analysis to determine whether the introduction of market-based instruments would improve the cost-effectiveness of these key land-use change programs. Specifically, they will explore the feasibility of a bidding scheme for conservation contracts in allocating government funds.
Links:
[1] http://www.aciar.gov.au/country/China
[2] http://www.aciar.gov.au/programarea/Agricultural Development Policy