International Area Studies Review
[ Article ]
International Area Studies Review - Vol. 27, No. 1, pp.21-42
ISSN: 2233-8659 (Print)
Print publication date 31 Mar 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69473/iasr.2024.27.1.21

Analyzing China’s “One Village One Product” Policy Implementation through the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework and Policy Cycle Theory

Lingtong Liu ; Grichawat Lowatcharin ; Peerasit Kamnuansilpa
College of Local Administration, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Correspondence to: Grichawat Lowatcharin, Asst. Prof. Dr. Grichawat Lowatcharin Associate Dean for Academic, Research, and Global Affairs, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, College of Local Administration, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, 40000 Email: grichawat@kku.ac.th

Abstract

The One Village One Product (OVOP) policy, originating from Japan and adopted by China to address the “Three Rural Issues,” has become a significant instrument for rural vitalization. This research employs the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework, coupled with policy cycle theory and policy instrument analysis, to dissect China’s OVOP policy implementation. Within the OVOP framework, the interplay of four policy tools—authority, resources, organization, and information—forms the foundation of policy execution. This research argues that achieving a harmonious balance between centralized decision-making and decentralized implementation depends on the strategic selection and integration of policy instruments. Empirical evidence, drawn from textual analysis and in-depth interviews, underscores the importance of these policy tools in promoting the integration of small-scale farmers into modern agriculture. Moreover, it highlights the influence of exogenous variables, such as physical conditions, community attributes, and operational rules, on policy effectiveness. This research contributes to a comprehensive understanding of OVOP policy at a broader level, providing valuable insights for policymakers seeking to address rural challenges and foster rural development. It lays the groundwork for future endeavors that could leverage quantitative data, strengthening the recommendations for China’s OVOP policy. It also offers valuable insights into the dynamics of top-down policy implementation in China, emphasizing the roles of local governance and small-scale farmers in achieving a delicate policy balance. The study ultimately aims to enhance the efficacy of policies like OVOP in promoting rural vitalization and addressing China’s “Three Rural Issues.”

Keywords:

Policy cycle, Institutional analysis, Development framework, OVOP, Sustainable rural development

AI Acknowledgment

Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were not used in any way to prepare, write, or complete essential authoring tasks in this manuscript.

Conflict of Interests

The author(s) declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding

The College of Local Administration, Khon Kaen University provided financial support for the first author.

References

  • Agricultural Bank of China. (n.d.). Service for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. Official Website of Agricultural Bank of China. Retrieved October 25, 2023, from https://www.abchina.com/cn/ruralsvc/
  • Anderson, J. E., Moyer, J., & Chichirau, G. (2022). Public policymaking. Cengage Learning.
  • Anh, N. T. (2013). One Village One Product (OVOP) in Japan to One Tambon One Product (OTOP) in Thailand: Lessons for grassroots development in developing countries. Journal of Social and Development Sciences, 4(12), 529–537. [https://doi.org/10.22610/jsds.v4i12.794]
  • Borrás, S., & Edquist, C. (2013). The choice of innovation policy instruments. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 80(8), 1513–1522. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2013.03.002]
  • Bu, X., Pu, L., Shen, C., Xie, X., & Xu, C. (2020). Study on the spatial restructuring of the village system at the county level oriented toward the rural revitalization strategy: A case of Jintan District, Jiangsu Province. Land, 9(12), 478. [https://doi.org/10.3390/land9120478]
  • Central Committee of the CPC, & State Council of China. (2013). Streamline administration and delegate power. Official Website of the Chinese Government. https://www.gov.cn/zhuanti/jzfq2014.htm
  • Central Committee of the CPC, & State Council of China. (2018, September 26). China’s rural vitalization strategy (2018–2022). State Council of the People’s Republic of China. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2018-09/26/content_5325534.htm
  • Christiaensen, L. (2013). When China runs out of farmers. In C. B. Barrett (Ed.), Food security and sociopolitical stability (pp. 428–451). Oxford Academic. [https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199679362.003.0017]
  • Cyberspace Administration of China, & Office of Central Cybersecurity Affairs Commission. (2021, December 27). “14th five-year plan” national informatization plan. Official Website of Cyberspace Administration of China, Office of Central Cybersecurity Affairs Commission. http://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-12/27/c_1642205312337636.htm
  • Deng, H., Huang, J., Xu, Z. & Rozelle, S. (2010). Policy support and emerging farmer professional cooperatives in rural China. China Economic Review, 21(4), 495-507. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2010.04.009]
  • Dietz, T., Ostrom, E., & Stern, P. C. (2003). The struggle to govern the commons. Science, 302(5652), 1907–1912. [https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1091015]
  • Dodds, A. (2018). Comparative public policy. Bloomsbury Publishing.
  • Fan, Y., Tang, Z., & Park, S. C. (2019). Effects of community perceptions and institutional capacity on smallholder farmers’ responses to water scarcity: Evidence from arid Northwestern China. Sustainability, 11(2), 483. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020483]
  • FAO. (2022). Global application of the One Village One Product Movement concept - Lessons from the experiences of the Japan International Cooperation Agency. [https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2693en]
  • Fock, A., & Zachernuk, T. (2006). China-Farmers professional associations: Review and policy recommendations. World Bank Group.
  • Garnevska, E., Liu, G., & Shadbolt, N. M. (2011). Factors for successful development of farmer cooperatives in Northwest China. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 14(4), 69–84. [https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.117603]
  • General Office of the CPC Central Committee, & General Office of the State Council of China. (2019). Opinions on promoting the organic connection between small-scale farmers and modern agricultural development. Official Website of the Central Government of the People’s Republic of China. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2019-02/21/content_5367487.htm
  • General Office of the State Council, PRC. (2004). Decision of the state council on deepening reform and strict land administration (Promulgated by the state council of the People’s Republic of China No. 28, 2004). Official Website of the Central Government of China. https://www.gov.cn/ztzl/2006-06/30/content_323794.htm
  • Han, H., Yuan, Z., & Zou, K. (2022). Agricultural location and crop choices in China: A revisitation on von Thünen model. Land, 11(11), 1885. [https://doi.org/10.3390/land11111885]
  • Hoang Thanh, L., Ta Nhat, L., Nguyen Dang, H., Ho, T. M. H., & Lebailly, P. (2018). One Village One Product (OVOP) - A rural development strategy and the early adaption in Vietnam, the case of Quang Ninh Province. Sustainability, 10(12), 4485. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124485]
  • Howlett, M. (2009). Governance modes, policy regimes and operational plans: A multi-level nested model of policy instrument choice and policy design. Policy Sciences, 42(1), 73–89. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-009-9079-1]
  • Huang, J., & Ding, J. (2016). Institutional innovation and policy support to facilitate small-scale farming transformation in China. Agricultural Economics, 47(S1), 227–237. [https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12309]
  • Huang, Z., & Tan, M. (2023). Spatial differences of specialty agriculture development in the mountainous areas of China - “One Village, One Product” as an example. Heliyon, 9(8), e18391. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18391]
  • Imperial, M. T., & Yandle, T. (2005). Taking institutions seriously: Using the IAD framework to analyze fisheries policy. Society and Natural Resources, 18(6), 493–509. [https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920590947922]
  • Jordan, A., Wurzel, R. K. W., & Zito, A. (2005). The rise of ‘new’ policy instruments in comparative perspective: has governance eclipsed government? Political Studies, 53(3), 477–496. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2005.00540.x]
  • Kurokawa, K. (2009). Effectiveness and limitations of the ‘One Village One Product’ (OVOP) approach as a government-led development policy: Evidence from Thai ‘One Tambon One Product’ (OTOP). Studies in Regional Science, 39(4), 977–989. [https://doi.org/10.2457/srs.39.977]
  • Li, E., Coates, K., Li, X., Ye, X., & Leipnik, M. (2017). Analyzing agricultural agglomeration in China. Sustainability, 9(2), 313. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020313]
  • Li, J., & Gong, Y. (2022). Spatial location differentiation and development decision optimization of characteristic villages and towns in China. Geography and Sustainability, 3(1), 21–31. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geosus.2022.01.002]
  • Lieberthal, K., Tong, J., & Yeung, S. C. (2020). Central documents and Politburo politics in China. University of Michigan Press. [https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.20021]
  • Liu, J., & Li, X. (2023). Streamlining administration and delegating power for better use of agricultural reclamation land resources. In Y. Li & Z. Cheng (Eds.), The Chinese path toward a leaner government (pp. 285–300). Springer. [https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6718-4_21]
  • Liu, M., Zhang, Q., Gao, S., & Huang, J. (2020). The spatial aggregation of rural e-commerce in China: An empirical investigation into Taobao Villages. Journal of Rural Studies, 80, 403–417. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.10.016]
  • Liu, Y., Yan, B., Wang, Y., & Zhou, Y. (2019). Will land transfer always increase technical efficiency in China? - A land cost perspective. Land Use Policy, 82, 414–421. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.12.002]
  • Luo, Y., Xue, Q., & Han, B. (2010). How emerging market governments promote outward FDI: Experience from China. Journal of World Business, 45(1), 68–79. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2009.04.003]
  • Ma, L., Chen, M., Che, X., & Fang, F. (2019). Farmers’ rural-to-urban migration, influencing factors and development framework: A case study of Sihe Village of Gansu, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(5), 877. [https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050877]
  • Ma, L., Chung, J., & Thorson, S. (2005). E-government in China: Bringing economic development through administrative reform. Government Information Quarterly, 22(1), 20–37. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2004.10.001]
  • Martindale, L. (2021). From land consolidation and food safety to Taobao villages and alternative food networks: Four components of China’s dynamic agri-rural innovation system. Journal of Rural Studies, 82, 404-416. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.01.012]
  • McGinnis, M. D. (2011). An introduction to IAD and the language of the Ostrom workshop: A simple guide to a complex framework. Policy Studies Journal, 39(1), 169–183. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2010.00401.x]
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the PRC. (2007). Guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on accelerating the development of One Village One Product. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. http://www.moa.gov.cn/nybgb/2007/deq/201806/t20180613_6151852.htm
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the PRC. (2009). What are the characteristics of farmers’ specialized cooperatives? Official Website of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. http://www.moa.gov.cn/ztzl/hzsf/200903/t20090310_1233089.htm
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the PRC. (2016, November 14). Implementation opinions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on comprehensively promoting the project of bringing information into villages and households. Official Website of Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China. https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-11/14/content_5132016.htm
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the PRC. (2017). Opinions of the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the in-depth implementation of the One Village One Product industry promotion action in poor villages. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. http://www.moa.gov.cn/gk/tzgg_1/tfw/201801/t20180104_6134040.htm
  • National Development and Reform Commission of the PRC. (2023). Regional brands have become an important symbol of regional economic vitality. China Development and Reform Journal. https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/wsdwhfz/202305/t20230512_1355655.html
  • Noble, V. (2019). Mobilities of the One-Product policy from Japan to Thailand: A critical policy study of OVOP and OTOP. Territory, Politics, Governance, 7(4), 455–473. [https://doi.org/10.1080/21622671.2018.1511463]
  • Ostrom, E. (1990). Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge University Press. [https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511807763]
  • Ostrom, E. (1999). Coping with tragedies of the commons. Annual Review of Political Science, 2(1), 493–535. [https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.2.1.493]
  • Ostrom, E. (2006). Understanding institutional diversity. Princeton University Press. [https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400831739]
  • Ostrom, E. (2009a). The institutional analysis and development framework and the commons. Cornell Law Review, 95, 807-815. [https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1615582]
  • Ostrom, E. (2009b). Building trust to solve commons dilemmas: Taking small steps to test an evolving theory of collective action. In S. A. Levin (Ed.), Games, groups, and the global good (pp. 207–228). Springer. [https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85436-4_13]
  • Ostrom, E. (2010). Beyond markets and states: Polycentric governance of complex economic systems. American Economic Review, 100(3), 641-672. [https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.3.641]
  • Ostrom, E. (2011). Background on the institutional analysis and development framework. Policy Studies Journal, 39(1), 7-27. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2010.00394.x]
  • Ostrom, E. (2014). Do institutions for collective action evolve? Journal of Bioeconomics, 16(1), 3–30. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s10818-013-9154-8]
  • Ostrom, E. (2019). Institutional rational choice: An assessment of the institutional analysis and development framework. In P. A. Sabatier (Ed.), Theories of the policy process (2nd ed., pp. 21–64). Routledge. [https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367274689-2]
  • Ostrom, E., Gardner, R., & Walker, J. (1994). Rules, games, and common-pool resources. University of Michigan Press. [https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.9739]
  • People’s Daily. (2023, February 17). A peek inside Kunming’s Dounan Flower Market. People’s Daily Online. http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0217/c90000-10209383.html
  • Phelps, N., Wang, C., Miao, J. T., & Zhang, J. (2022). E-commerce: A platform for local economic development? Evidence from Taobao Villages in Zhejiang Province, China. Transactions in Planning and Urban Research, 1(3–4), 251–268. [https://doi.org/10.1177/27541223221143986]
  • Polski, M. M., & Ostrom, E. (1999). An institutional framework for policy analysis and design. Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis Center for the Study of Institutions, Population, and Environmental Change Department of Political Science Indiana University.
  • Rural Cooperative Economic Guidance Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the PRC. (2019). Farmers’ cooperatives have become the backbone of rural revitalization. Official Website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. http://www.moa.gov.cn/ztzl/70zncj/201909/t20190916_6327995.htm
  • Schlager, E. (2019). A comparison of frameworks, theories, and models of policy processes. In P. A. Sabatier (Ed.), Theories of the policy process (2nd ed., pp. 293–319). Routledge. [https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367274689-10]
  • Schlager, E., & Cox, M. (2018). The IAD framework and the SES framework: An introduction and assessment of the Ostrom workshop frameworks. In C. M. Weible & P. A. Sabatier (Eds.), Theories of the policy process (4th ed., pp. 215–252). Routledge. [https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494284-7]
  • Schlager, E., & Villamayor-Tomas, S. (2023). The IAD framework and its tools for policy and institutional analysis. In C. M. Weible (Ed.), Theories of the policy process (5th ed., pp. 196–229). Routledge. [https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003308201-8]
  • Shen, J., & Chou, R. J. (2022). Rural revitalization of Xiamei: The development experiences of integrating tea tourism with ancient village preservation. Journal of Rural Studies, 90, 42–52. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.01.006]
  • Shen, M., Rozelle, S., Zhang, L., & Huang, J. (2005). Farmer’s professional associations in rural China: State dominated or new state-society partnerships? China’s Agricultural and Rural Development in the Early 21st Century. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265101819_Farmer%27s_Professional_Associations_in_Rural_China_State_Dominated_or_New_State-Society_Partnerships_The_comments_of
  • Smith, N. R. (2019). One village, one product: Agro‐industrial village corporatism in contemporary China. Journal of Agrarian Change, 19(2), 249–269. [https://doi.org/10.1111/joac.12301]
  • Su, Y., Li, Y., Chen, X., Wang, Y., & Zang, L. (2023). Farmland titling, farmland adjustment and rural collective action: Application of institutional analysis and development framework using evidence from China’s irrigation commons. Journal of Rural Studies, 102, 103089. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103089]
  • Sun, R. (2022). Yunnan flowers: Storying cross-species love beyond metaphors. European Bulletin of Himalayan Research, 58. [https://doi.org/10.4000/ebhr.530]
  • Sun, X., Li, Z., Zhu, T., & Ni, C. (2021). Four-dimension deep learning method for flower quality grading with depth information. Electronics, 10(19), 2353. [https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10192353]
  • Vedung, E. (1998). Policy instruments: Typologies and theories. In M.-L. Bemelmans-Videc, R. C. Rist, & E. Vedung (Eds.), Carrots, sticks, and sermons: Policy instruments and their evaluation (pp. 21–58). Routledge. [https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315081748-2]
  • Villamayor-Tomas, S., Thiel, A., Amblard, L., Zikos, D., & Blanco, E. (2019). Diagnosing the role of the state for local collective action: Types of action situations and policy instruments. Environmental Science & Policy, 97, 44-57. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.03.009]
  • Wang, C. C., Miao, J. T., Phelps, N. A., & Zhang, J. (2021). E-commerce and the transformation of the rural: The Taobao village phenomenon in Zhejiang Province, China. Journal of Rural Studies, 81, 159–169. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.10.017]
  • Wang, Y., Zang, L., & Araral, E. (2020). The impacts of land fragmentation on irrigation collective action: Empirical test of the social-ecological system framework in China. Journal of Rural Studies, 78, 234-244. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.06.005]
  • Weible, C. M. (Ed.). (2023). Theories of the policy process. Taylor & Francis. [https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003308201]
  • Wen, T., & Dong, X. (2010). Cunshe lixing: Pojie “sannong” yu “sanzhi” kunjing de yige xin shijiao [Village-community rationality: A new perspective to solve the predicaments of ‘sannong’ and ‘sanzhi’]. Journal of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, 14(4), 20–23. https://our-global-u.org/oguorg/zhs/download/Featured%20Authors/wentiejun(8)/cunshelixing.pdf
  • Yang, Q., & Zhang, D. (2021). The influence of agricultural industrial policy on non-grain production of cultivated land: A case study of the “One Village, One Product” strategy implemented in Guanzhong Plain of China. Land Use Policy, 108, 105579. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105579]
  • Yang, R., Zhang, X., & Xu, Q. (2022). Spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural specialized villages in Guangdong Province, China. Chinese Geographical Science, 32(6), 1013–1034. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-022-1317-x]
  • Zang, L., Wang, Y., Ke, J., & Su, Y. (2022). What drives smallholders to utilize socialized agricultural services for farmland scale management? Insights from the perspective of collective action. Land, 11(6), 930. [https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060930]
  • Zhang, D., Gao, W., & Lv, Y. (2020). The triple logic and choice strategy of rural revitalization in the 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, based on the perspective of historical evolution. Agriculture, 10(4), 125. [https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10040125]
  • Zhang, X. (2019). Investigation of e‐commerce in China in a geographical perspective. Growth and Change, 50(3), 1062–1084. [https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12307]
  • Zhong, Z., Jiang, W., & Li, Y. (2023). Bridging the gap between smallholders and modern agriculture: Full insight into China’s agricultural cooperatives. Journal of Rural Studies, 101, 103037. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103037]
  • Zhou, G., & Sui, D. (2021). Cong wenshu xingzheng dao wenjian zhengzhi: Pojie woguo guimo zhili nanti de neisheng jizhi [From document administration to document politics: Endogenous mechanism to solve problem of scale governance in China]. Jianghai Academic Journal, 4, 247–253.