尽管毁林和森林退化现象仍存在于亚洲及太平洋地区的许多国家，但过去三十年中国的林业部门发生了巨大变化。中国不仅成功遏止毁林，还大幅增加了森林面积和蓄积量。目前，中国在人工林和农用林方面居亚洲地区首位，在木材加工方面也取得了令人瞩目的成就。目前是几种林产品（如木板、纸、纸板以及家具）的最大出口国，还是几种非木材林产品的主要生产和出口国。     若干政策变化和体制改革，包括森林权属相关变革，都旨在动员私营部门增加对林业的投资。此外，环境问题也引发了多项干预措施，例如禁止采伐天然林，保护和养护现有森林和林地。城市化快速发展以及随之而来对木材和环境服务的需求，导致在造林、再造林和森林保护方面的投资增加。科学技术取得重大发展，包括加强部门内外的技能和能力，促进了价值链上增值、贸易和市场服务的有效运作，并进一步帮助加速转型。考虑到森林转型的规模和速度，中国的经验尤其值得借鉴。     本文致力于解释影响中国森林转型的因素以及有助于稳定和完善林业部门的多种途径。对于着力改善林业部门的国家，在宏观变化以及需采取广泛措施的背景下，中国的案例提供了特别宝贵的经验教训。

全球约有44%至57%的温室气体（GHGs）排放来自粮食系统，其中农业和由农业造成的森林砍伐占到了26%到33%，这让农业成了造成气候变化的主要因素。化肥是这些危险气体的主要来源。中国是世界上化肥使用量最多的国家，约占目前全球化肥使用总量的三分之一，其中大多数是以煤为原料的氮肥。在中国，普通农民平均每公顷土地施用化肥超过600千克。在巴西和美国，化肥的使用也是一个日益严重的问题，但中国的平均化肥施用量却是巴西平均值的三倍还多，几乎达到美国的五倍。此外，中国农民给小麦和水稻作物施的化肥仅三分之一被植株吸收，其余都进入了河流和大气之中。

大力发展的中国农业发展不仅为城市居民提供了充足的粮食，而且帮助成千上百万的农村人口脱离了贫困。但这也同时造成了很大的环境问题。在一些本应该是鱼米之乡的丰沃地区，生态系统已经被严重破坏，有些地区的生态系统甚至已经到退化到了无法恢复的程度。由英国和中国的科学家共同组成的研究团队最新的研究成果表明，农业产量的提高是长期以牺牲环境为代价的。在东部的一些省份，如安徽，江苏和上海，粮食和渔业的产量在过去的60年内都有显著的提高。但是这些产量的提高同时伴随着一系列的环境问题， 比如水污染， 空气污染以及水土流失。也许有些人会说这未必是个多么严重的问题。毕竟，粮食产量的提高是使中国几亿的农村人脱离贫困的一个主要因素。与这些相比，自然环境在一定程度上的恶化也许算不了什么。

粮食生产与气候条件保持着高度的因果联系。今后20 年至50 年间农业生产将受到气候变化的严重冲击，进而严重影响全球的粮食安全。总体而言，气候变化对农业生产的影响，既有负面的，也有正面的。当前负面的影响大于正面影响，需要相应的应对措施。

本文陈述了联合国粮食及农业组织也全球农村咨询服务论坛关于农技推广今天站在何处及今后将需要走向何处的立场。本文所述的研究结果的意图是在考虑农业科研促进发展的前途时，改进对推广的定位。本文写入了从倡议的一些利益相者以及其他方面得到的反馈意见，也写入了一些案例的研究概况。 陈述这些案例，是为了阐述如今多元化推广系统特点的经验与途， 也是为了提高人们对推广为持续农村发展和减贫作出贡献贡的多种方式的认识。

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