Theory, Tools and Implications of Multifunctional Agriculture for Chongqing Municipality, Southwest China

Multifunctional agriculture (MFA) has become a widely applied term. This paper presents an overview of background, theory and tools of MFA. In theory MFA require a special framework in institutional analysis. The IAD and SES framework can make significant contributions in this analysis. Modern techniques, such as remote sensing and GIS, are among the most powerful tools for modeling, analyzing and promoting MFA. For its unique geographic, social and political place in China, Chongqing municipality agriculture will have to undergo a paradigm shift from being a pure production branch fulfilling the food security task by all means to a diversified sector providing different products and services. In the municipality context that means identifying the different functions of agriculture-the well-known and the hidden-to make them explicit for the public and therewith to give them new significance. Based on a qualitative analysis of the actual situation, three implications of MFA is special important to Chongqing municipality. They are building knowledge and trust, promoting good land governance and democratization of land management. This is very much a work-in-progress, and much work need to be done in the future.