Integrated Emergy and Economic Evaluation of Huzhou Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond Systems

Abstract

The Huzhou mulberry-dyke and fish-pond system (HMFS) is a compound structure of agriculture with interaction among several subsystems, and it is an effective example of a circular economy by exogenous input and waste reduction to maintain a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. As increases in rural urbanization and transition of peasants occur, the traditional systems remain in a constant state of change, along with different kinds of adaptation models. In this study, two main existing models are examined by field investigation and extensive literature analysis. Emergy theory and methods are adopted to make a further quantitative analysis from emergy structure and indices synthetically and systemically. In this process, the models of HMFS are split into several subsystems, including mulberry dyke, fish pond, rape dyke, and silkworm, in terms of a modularization approach. The proportion of combinations among different subsystems is calculated by the average production level of local peasants. The empirical results of emergy analysis indicate that the two existent patterns of HMFS are themselves superior in terms of environmental capacity and commercial efficiency. The mulberry–silkworm–fish model possesses more sustainable characteristics than the rape–fish model by the mass flow and energy flux. In addition, the rape–fish model may obtain considerably better economic returns by more inorganic resources, and thus achieve higher economic benefits. Therefore, the rape–fish model may be an evolutionary model to make directions for further research and protection, while other adaptive units are introduced to form multiple systems.

Water and Land as Shared Resources for Agriculture and Aquaculture: Insights from Asia

“…One of the most self-contained and highly developed forms of IAA is jitang, which is an ancient Chinese mulberry-dike fish-pond system [181][182][183]. Jitang has been practiced for millennia, especially in the Pearl River delta, where it has largely supplanted fishing and the traditional cultivation of crops [184][185][186]. Over time and in response to the flood-prone nature of their environment, farmers learned to excavate soil to create ponds and use it to construct a network of raised dikes to control water flow and permit the cultivation of crops.…”

Evaluation of China’s Circular Agriculture Performance and Analysis of the Driving Factors

“…On the other hand, it evaluates the development of circular agriculture in different industries, different enterprises, and different practice modes from the micro-level. Scholars have already evaluated issues, such as food wastes [40], water management, and agriculture [41], in mulberry-dyke and fish-pond systems [42]. Recent research on the driving factors of circular agriculture development is from the perspective of farmers to explore factors that influence farmers' participation in circular agricultural projects [43][44][45][46].…”

Automation for the artisanal economy: enhancing the economic and environmental sustainability of crafting professions with human–machine collaboration

“…The silkworm pupae go into fishponds to feed the fish, and fish waste and decayed matter in the pond mud is used as fertilizer for the trees. This 2,500 year old value cycle creates greater biodiversity and economic gains than conventional agriculture (Liu et al 2018). Agroecology essentially circulates ecological value in unalienated forms.…”