Industrial development and benefit sharing of mountain agriculture: The Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) industry in Southwest China

Abstract

In the context of corporate-led agricultural industrialization, the agricultural systems in the mountainous areas of Southwest China are undergoing significant transformations, profoundly impacting the local agroecological environment and farmers’ livelihoods. This study aims to investigate how the “company + farmer” model influences the cultivation of buckwheat in the Liangshan Yi region in Southwest China. The study hypothesizes that while this model provides market opportunities for farmers, it also marginalizes them from equitably benefiting from industrial growth, leading to the abandonment of traditional crop production and negative impacts on the local agroecological environment and food culture. Drawing on anthropological fieldwork, this study gathers qualitative data from participant observation and interviews to analyze the socioeconomic and ecological implications of these changes. The findings revealed that the push for agricultural industrialization has resulted in the replacement of traditional food crops, including buckwheat, with cash crops, fostering a monoculture system that undermines biodiversity and local food security. The study concludes that future rural development efforts must prioritize the cultural and ecological roles of traditional farming communities and promote a farmer-centered, diversified agricultural production system.

Keywords

Mountainous agriculture landscapes / Agricultural industrialization / Food culture / Food security