Ziyuan Kexue (Feb 2023)
Value realization paths of ecological products through tourism in agricultural heritage sites from the perspective of farmers: An example of the Dancong tea culture system in Chaozhou City
Abstract
[Objective] This study explored the paths for different types of farmers in agricultural heritage sites to realize the value of ecological products through tourism, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the realization of ecological product values in agricultural heritage sites. [Methods] Based on the theories of farmer behavior and ecosystem services and using data from 51 semi-structured in-depth interviews through field investigation of the Dancong tea culture system in Chaozhou City of Guangdong Province, and combined with the framework of sustainable livelihood analysis and the ability of community residents to participate in tourism, this study constructed a livelihood capital measurement indicator system for the tourism value realization of ecological products in the agricultural heritage site from the farmers’ perspective, which includes 21 secondary indicators. Then, this study used entropy method to evaluate the capital held by different types of farmers, and further discussed whether there are significant differences between the capitals held by different types of farmers by one-way ANOVA. [Results] (1) Economic capital and physical capital are the dominant capitals for farmers to participate in tourism in the alpine tea-growing areas. The dominant capital of farmers in the F1 site in low mountain tea-growing areas is natural capital, while the dominant capitals of farmers in the F2 site in low mountain tea-growing areas is human capital and sociocultural capital. (2) Among the five major capitals, there are significant differences in economic capital and physical capital between farmers in high mountain tea-growing areas and low mountain tea-growing areas. With regard to economic capital, there is a significant difference between farmers in high mountain tea-growing areas and the F1 site farmers in low mountain tea-growing areas. In terms of physical capital, the difference between farmers in high mountain tea-growing areas and the F1 site farmers in low mountain tea-growing areas is extremely significant, and the difference between farmers in high mountain tea-growing areas and the F2 site farmers in low mountain tea-growing areas is significant. (3) Farmers in alpine tea-growning areas and low mountain tea-growning areas can be further categorized into three representative types: strong economic capital-weak natural capital, strong natural capital-weak economic capital, and strong human capital-strong sociocultural capital types. According to the characteristics of capital and the level of tourism development, three value realization paths of ecological products of agricultural heritage sites through tourism were proposed. [Conclusion] Tourism plays an important role in realizing the multi-functional value of agricultural heritage and enhancing its inheritance and utilization. Different types of farmers in agricultural heritage sites hold different livelihood capital, so they can realize the tourism value of ecological products through different capital combinations, thus helping farmers to better realize the economic benefits of ecological products, enhance their livelihood resilience, promote farmers' awareness of ecological protection and heritage protection, and feed back ecosystem restoration and heritage protection with economic benefits.
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