Importance of Farmers’ Awareness on Ecological Revitalization to Promote Sustainable Development

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Please check the attached document

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

The authors examined the cultivation of ecological awareness among farmers in ecological revitalization using three methods (i) literature graphs, (ii) data statistics, and (iii) case analysis methods. They also surveyed farmers in Gansu province of China. Their findings show a need to increase farmer awareness on ecological concepts and economic development. This will facilitate their participation in ecologically governance. They also propose policy measures towards achievement of this goal. The study has valuable implications in revitalizing rural economic development. Its focus is thus topical and relevant to this journal. However, there is a need to carry out a revision of various sections to enhance its quality and publication propensity as highlighted below. The authors should also note that they have used very long sentences and I propose that they look into this too. 

Answer: Thank you for your valuable insights and input for the betterment of article. We have tried to shorten the sentences, breaking long sentences.

Specific comments

Title

The title is appropriate for the study subject

Response: Thank you

Abstract

The abstract is satisfactory. However, authors have indicated in the abstract that a survey of farmers was carried out in Gansu Province of China. They need to indicate this in the methodology. This is actually emphasized by the findings reported in the abstract on farmer that farmers (90%) were satisfied with current ecosystem revitalization projects. This should also be reported in the results sections. Everything reported in the abstract should be reflected in the relevant sections.

Response: Thank you for your suggestions, we have adopted secondary data of Gansu Province, we have included in the methodology the results section as per suggested. Line no [142-147]

 

Keywords

They are sufficient. However, I propose that authors change the keyword “farmers” to “farmer knowledge”

Response: Thank you for your suggestions, we have changed the keyword “farmers” to “farmer knowledge”.

Introduction

• The introduction appropriately sets out the need of the study.
• Authors have used the term rural revitalization. However, they have not provided its definition and what it entails. They should provide this.

Response: Definition provided line number [38-40]

• Authors have highlighted past studies touching on the rural ecological environmental issues.

Response: Thank you

• They have demonstrated lack of sufficient attention to the ecological awareness of farmers in rural ecological revitalization. This provides a justification for this study, exploring ways of strengthening farmers ecological awareness.

Response: Thank you

• From the abstract, introduction, results, discussion and conclusion, the authors have emphasises the importance of raising farmer ecological awareness. This brings out the importance of farmers as sole decision makers in their operations. Thus, authors may start the sentence in line 47-48 to read “Since farmers are the stewards and sole decision makers of their farming operations (Manono, 2016), it is critical to enhance their ecological awareness to effectively promote the ecological revitalization of rural areas in China. This statement emphasizes the importance of farmers in enhancing farming efficiency and sustainability and how adopting sustainable farming practices can help them make informed choices. This 1 assertion is supported by many statements within the manuscript text in all sections. Furthermore, considering the crucial role of raising awareness in the adoption of good agricultural practices, authors have given suggestions on strategies to follow to achieve this goal.

Response: Thank you for suggesting a famous quotation from Manono, 2016, we have added it and make logical assertation line no [46-47]

• Objectives are not clear and authors should restate them to enhance their clarity.

Response: We restate the objectives line no [84-88]

Materials and methods

The materials and method section is well described but there is plenty of opportunities to improve. It is worthy to note the following:

• The study sites are indicated in the abstract (Gansu Province, China). However, this is not described in the methodology section. These should be included here.

Response: Thank you for your suggestion. We have included now line number: [142-149]

• The experimental design of the Knowledge Gap Method used and data collection method has been described.

Response: Thank you

• Figure 1 presents a synopsis of collaborative network between countries in related research.

Response: Thank you

• Figure 2, also provides keywords of interest in this research area.

Response: Thank you

• In lines 121-124, authors mention that a survey was carried out using questionnaires. This information is also reported in the abstract. If this is the case, authors should provide the methodology used for this data collection method. They should also report findings from the survey in the results section and incorporate it in the discussion.

Response: Thank you for your queries. Online questionnaire, secondary data

• Figure 2 captions should be below the figure.

Response: Thank you for indicating. We have added a caption just below the figure 2. Line no [134]

 

Data analysis

The authors have not shown how collected data was analyzed, especially that from the survey. If the authors had done a review of literature, they should indicate so and desist from carrying out a survey.

Response: Thank you for your suggestions. We have taken data from Gansu bluebook. Line number [142-149].

Results

• The historical development of cultivating ecological awareness is well described. Authors have also compared how this happened in different countries and regions of the world in relation to its development in China, the focal area of this study.

Response: Thank you

• Figure 3 words are tiny and not readable. Authors should increase the font and change the page orientation into landscape.

Response: Thank you. We are not sure whether it is allowed or not to make page landscape, but we will provide high resolution image with larger fonts.

• Authors have given a critical assessment of farmers’ ecological awareness. They have also provided its development in different countries and regions of the world.

Response: Thank you

• They have provided a critical analysis of its status in China.

Response: Thank you

• Some of the data presented in figure 4 depict a farmer survey data. Authors should indicate how this was obtained in the methodology section, thus where it was carried out and how the individual farmers respondents were selected.

Response: Thank you. We have added it in methodology section. Line [42-49]

• Authors have provided information on the importance of ecological knowledge. They have indicated its development in the school curriculum in many countries and regions. They have also given example how farmer education relates to productivity. However, the authors have not clearly demonstrated a direct link with farmer involvement.

Response: Thank you. Please add some line linking about farmer education and farmer participation

• Lines 403 – 490, authors have dwelled on the deficiencies of farmer ecological knowledge in China and their causes. Some of the facts stated should be supported by references.

Response: Thank you. I added some cited literature in lines 439-492.

Please add some reference

• Alternatively, if this was obtained from the farmer survey, it should be indicated so. For example, authors indicate of 90% of people satisfied with current ecosystem revitalization projects, reduced chemical fertilizer use, increase in area of water-saving irrigation and soil erosion control after the implementing the Three-Year Action Plan for Rural Living Environment Improvement in 2018 as indicated in the abstract.

Response: Thank you. It was collected from literature, we have mentioned it

• Authors should make rows of table 1 distinct to distinguish them.

Response: Thank you. We made it more distinct by adding boarder for each row in both tables.

Discussion.

• Authors have discussed their observations on how farmers ecological awareness can be enhanced. However, this section can be enhanced by adding more relevant references and tightly linking it with the study results.

Response: Thank you. We have added some references.

 Authors should add another column at the right end of the table for references. They can also change page into landscape orientation for it to fit.

• The page with figure 8 can be formatted to landscape orientation so the figure can be enlarged for enhanced readability.

Response: Thank you. Actually it should be figure 6, there was mistake in manuscript, now we have corrected it. We are not sure whether it is allowed or not to make page landscape, but we will provide high resolution image.

 

Conclusions

• The conclusion should be concise and supported by data without discussions or re-reporting of results.

Response: Thank you. Concluding remarks of data from Gansu province has been added. Line number [663-667]

• Providing recommendations is a good gesture. References The references are appropriate, but the discussion section can be greatly enhanced by bringing in more references to compare with the study results.

Response: Thank you, we have added some citations in discussion section

 

I have suggested one reference which is relevant in augmenting reference [line 47-48] as it brings the issues under discussion.

1. Manono, B. O. (2016). New Zealand dairy farm effluent, irrigation and soil biota management for sustainability: Farmer priorities and monitoring. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 2(1), 1221636.

Response: Thank you for your suggestion, we have added it as you mentioned it before.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This study examined the cultivation of ecological awareness among farmers in ecological revitalization using literature graphs, data statistics, and case analysis methods. While some interesting findings were obtained, the authors have some work to do in order to improve the quality of the paper. My specific comments are below:

1.      The introduction needs to be beefed up. Your research question should be presented clearly based on the recent literature related. The significance of your study needs to be elaborated.

2.      Section 2 is to present the research status of farmers' ecological awareness in rural ecological revitalization. However, the useful information about the research status is very little. From Figure 1, the readers can get the knowledge about where the research related was conducted, but we cannot get the knowledge about the research progress. The name of Figure 2 should be provided. What information can we get from Figure 2?

3.      The article contains many large paragraphs, and it is recommended that the author appropriately condense and refine the text to enhance the readability of the article.

4.      Section 3.2 is discussion on farmers’ ecological awareness. It can be included in Section 4 Discussion.

5.      The source of information for Figure 4 needs to be indicated.

6.      Who conducted the survey in Gansu Province? How did you select the sample? The sample size is small. Is the sample representative?

7.      The title of Figure 5 is unclear in meaning.

8.      I advise splitting the discussion into smaller chapters.

9.      The conclusions could be more concrete.

10.  The format of the references should comply with the journal's requirements, and the information cited should be complete. Some references from Chinese journals need to be marked as "in Chinese".

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English can be improved.

Author Response

Review 2

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This study examined the cultivation of ecological awareness among farmers in ecological revitalization using literature graphs, data statistics, and case analysis methods. While some interesting findings were obtained, the authors have some work to do in order to improve the quality of the paper.

Response: Thank you

My specific comments are below:

1. The introduction needs to be beefed up. Your research question should be presented clearly based on the recent literature related. The significance of your study needs to be elaborated.

Response: We have added few lines.

2. Section 2 is to present the research status of farmers' ecological awareness in rural ecological revitalization. However, the useful information about the research status is very little. From Figure 1, the readers can get the knowledge about where the research related was conducted, but we cannot get the knowledge about the research progress. The name of Figure 2 should be provided. What information can we get from Figure 2?

Response: Thank you for your concerns. Well said, figure 1 can only provide the location/country of research work. However, we can estimate the research amount by size of bubble shows in figure. Figure 3 explains the historical trends of research. We have added caption in figure 2. The Co-Keyword Network analysis elucidates the interrelation of knowledge components, concepts, technologies, and methodologies within specific research, assisting researchers in recognizing emerging trends and under-explored domains. 

3. The article contains many large paragraphs, and it is recommended that the author appropriately condense and refine the text to enhance the readability of the article.

Response: Thank you for your feedback, we have broken down many large sentences to enhance readability.

4. Section 3.2 is discussion on farmers’ ecological awareness. It can be included in Section 4 Discussion.

Response: Thank you for your feedback, we have included some result portion also on those sections, and discussion section is focused on solution for effective rural revitalization. It will be better to change the title only Farmers’ ecological awareness. We have changed the title of section 3.2.

5. The source of information for Figure 4 needs to be indicated.

Response: Thank you for your feedback, we have indicated now

6. Who conducted the survey in Gansu Province? How did you select the sample? The sample size is small. Is the sample representative?

Response: Data was taken from Gansu Public Opinion Analysis and Prediction (2022); line no: [42-49]

Response: Thank you.This data source is the questionnaire statistics in the blue book released by the Gansu Provincial government in 2022, and the title is Gansu Public Opinion Analysis and Prediction. The survey included farmers in four cities and counties under their jurisdiction, according to different ethnic groups, different occupations and different age ranges.

7. The title of Figure 5 is unclear in meaning.

Response: Thank you for indicating. We have changed the caption

8. I advise splitting the discussion into smaller chapters.

Response: Thank you for your suggestion, we have divided into smaller topics now

9. The conclusions could be more concrete.

Response: Thank you for your suggestion. We have added few lines adhering to survey data.

10. The format of the references should comply with the journal's requirements, and the information cited should be complete. Some references from Chinese journals need to be marked as "in Chinese".

Response: Thank you for your suggestions. We will indicate non-English literatures in references.

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language: The English can be improved.

 

Response: Thank you for your suggestions. We have improved English and enhanced its readibality.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article is well-researched and presents a compelling case for enhancing farmers’ ecological awareness as a strategy for rural revitalization in China. With a few adjustments to organization, clarity, and international applicability, the article has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to discussions on sustainable development and ecological education.

1. Structure and Organization

The article is logically structured, with each section building upon the previous one. The sequence from introduction, materials and methods, to results, discussion, and conclusion follows a clear academic flow, which enhances readability and helps the reader understand the argument progression.

Subheadings are well-organized, but further subcategorization, particularly in the “Results” and “Discussion” sections, could enhance clarity. E.g (1) Line 128, to more clearly present the development history, it is recommended to use subheadings to separately discuss the international and Chinese contexts, and to include specific timelines or phased summaries. (2) In “Discussion”, consider using subheadings to organize the discussion into sections such as "Government Leadership" "Farmer-Centered Education" "Legal Reforms" and "Investment and Industrialization" to enhance clarity.

Some paragraphs are too long to comprehend. It is recommended to break down long paragraphs into shorter ones to simplify and clarify complex sentences, thereby improving readability, especially for non-expert readers.

2. Content and Relevance

Some terms like "ecological civilization" might benefit from brief definitions or contextual explanations. Introduce and define unique terms clearly to ensure readers can follow the argument without ambiguity. Certain phrases, such as "green transformation", while descriptive, may benefit from clarification or examples, particularly for an international audience unfamiliar with China's specific context.

 

International examples are beneficial by offers valuable context and supports the argument that improving ecological awareness among farmers can drive rural revitalization. Nevertheless, they are sometimes presented in lengthy paragraphs without clear connections to the primary theme. When introducing examples from different countries, it is advisable to simplify the descriptions and emphasize their direct relevance to the cultivation of farmers' ecological awareness, ensuring a closer alignment with the main topic.E.g (1) In “3.1. Development history of cultivating ecological awareness among farmers”, some statement are irrelevant; (2) Line 128,462-470,“ Many countries have formulated relevant preferential policies...” seems less relevant to the sub topic. It is recommended to discuss three main models of the ecological agriculture education and training you mentioned in last sentence.

3. Depth of Analysis

Some points are somewhat broad. More specific examples or data on how these issues affect ecological awareness would strengthen the analysis. E.g (1) line 111-113 “ China’s rural ecological environment has improved and entered a relatively stable state”; (2)Line 306 “lack of ecological ethics”.

The statistical data from Gansu province seems like an example of overgeneralization (line 259, 361). It is recommended to incorporate additional data sources or statistics from various regions within China or national level data to present a more comprehensive view of the current ecological awareness landscape.

Emphasis on strengthening ecological education for farmers aligns well with the paper's thesis (line 451-492). However, there could be more evidence or examples of how this has effectively transformed rural communities elsewhere.

4. Methodology

The use of the Knowledge Graph Method (MKD) is well-explained, offering readers insight into the methodological approach. However, a more detailed explanation of why this specific method was chosen and its advantages over other methods could improve the methodology section.

5. Use of Literature and Sources

References to lines 226-247, Figures 4A and 5 should be added to support your statements.

6. Language and Style

The language is generally clear but could be tightened to enhance readability. Repetitive phrases could be combined or clarified to avoid redundancy. E.g. (1) Line39 “A tremendous ecological environment is the foundation for implementing a rural revitalization strategy and the sustained driving force for promoting a rural revitalization strategy, a goal for achieving rural revitalization”, a goal for achieving rural revitalization” is repetitive; (2) Line 40-45. You mentioned China 3 times in succession and there is no need-- readers are already informed by “As the world's largest developing country....”. There are many redundancies throughout the entire text, to name just a few."

 

Avoid using the same word/phrase repeatedly within a single sentence or paragraph. For example, in lines 107-108: “According to the statistics, China's publication volume in rural ecology research accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total publication volume.'”Deleting the second 'publication volume' would make the sentence more natural.

 

Some phrases are not expressed naturally in English. E.g. (1) Line38. In English, it is not appropriate to use “tremendous” to describe “environment.”(2) Table one “On behalf of the State

”-- “State Representation”.

Line 120 conduct surveys is one of the means to conduct a study, not the focusing of a study.

Line 128 “foreign scholars” may be ambiguous, as readers of this paper could be from anywhere in the world, not just China.

 

7. Figures and Tables

1. Figure 1Different groups of countries are represented by different colors. What do the different colors represent?

2. Figures 4B What's the unit? kilogram or ton?

3. Line 367 “figure 7”- you mean figure 5.

4. Line 617, line 626“figure 8”- you mean figure 6.

Author Response

Review 3

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

 

The article is well-researched and presents a compelling case for enhancing farmers’ ecological awareness as a strategy for rural revitalization in China. With a few adjustments to organization, clarity, and international applicability, the article has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to discussions on sustainable development and ecological education.

Response: Thank you for your critical feedback. We are happy to make our research better. You have observed article very carefully and suggested us our mistakes. We really appreciate your input.

1. Structure and Organization

The article is logically structured, with each section building upon the previous one. The sequence from introduction, materials and methods, to results, discussion, and conclusion follows a clear academic flow, which enhances readability and helps the reader understand the argument progression.

Response: Thank you

Subheadings are well-organized, but further subcategorization, particularly in the “Results” and “Discussion” sections, could enhance clarity. E.g (1) Line 128, to more clearly present the development history, it is recommended to use subheadings to separately discuss the international and Chinese contexts, and to include specific timelines or phased summaries. (2) In “Discussion”, consider using subheadings to organize the discussion into sections such as "Government Leadership" "Farmer-Centered Education" "Legal Reforms" and "Investment and Industrialization" to enhance clarity.

Response: Thank you so much for guiding us. We have added sub-heading accordingly

Some paragraphs are too long to comprehend. It is recommended to break down long paragraphs into shorter ones to simplify and clarify complex sentences, thereby improving readability, especially for non-expert readers.

Response: Thank you for your constructive feedback. We have break down long sentence and enhance readability.

2. Content and Relevance

Some terms like "ecological civilization" might benefit from brief definitions or contextual explanations. Introduce and define unique terms clearly to ensure readers can follow the argument without ambiguity. Certain phrases, such as "green transformation", while descriptive, may benefit from clarification or examples, particularly for an international audience unfamiliar with China's specific context.

 Response: Thank you for your constructive feedback. We have added definition of rural revitalization, ecological civilization, and green transformation, line [38-47]

International examples are beneficial by offers valuable context and supports the argument that improving ecological awareness among farmers can drive rural revitalization. Nevertheless, they are sometimes presented in lengthy paragraphs without clear connections to the primary theme. When introducing examples from different countries, it is advisable to simplify the descriptions and emphasize their direct relevance to the cultivation of farmers' ecological awareness, ensuring a closer alignment with the main topic. E.g (1) In “3.1. Development history of cultivating ecological awareness among farmers”, some statement are irrelevant; (2) Line 128,462-470,“ Many countries have formulated relevant preferential policies...” seems less relevant to the sub topic. It is recommended to discuss three main models of the ecological agriculture education and training you mentioned in last sentence.

Response: Thank you for your critical feedback. We also reconsider those sentences and found less relevant. We have removed those sentences.

3. Depth of Analysis

Some points are somewhat broad. More specific examples or data on how these issues affect ecological awareness would strengthen the analysis. E.g (1) line 111-113 “ China’s rural ecological environment has improved and entered a relatively stable state”; (2)Line 306 “lack of ecological ethics”.

Response: Thank you for your comment. We have added some facts with reference line [133-134] reference. For term “lack of ecological ethics”. we change the title as “Awareness of ecological ethics and moral qualities among farmers” which we have discussed enough.

The statistical data from Gansu province seems like an example of overgeneralization (line 259, 361). It is recommended to incorporate additional data sources or statistics from various regions within China or national level data to present a more comprehensive view of the current ecological awareness landscape.

Response: Thank you for your suggestions, but we have only data for Gansu Province, currently.

Emphasis on strengthening ecological education for farmers aligns well with the paper's thesis (line 451-492). However, there could be more evidence or examples of how this has effectively transformed rural communities elsewhere.

Could you add some??

Response: Thank you for your comment.I have added two examples to lines 468-476 and 507-513 to argue that rural communities elsewhere are effectively changed

4. Methodology

The use of the Knowledge Graph Method (MKD) is well-explained, offering readers insight into the methodological approach. However, a more detailed explanation of why this specific method was chosen and its advantages over other methods could improve the methodology section.

Response: Thank you for your comment. We have added justification of Knowledge Graph Method in line [79-86]

5. Use of Literature and Sources

References to lines 226-247, Figures 4A and 5 should be added to support your statements.

Response: Thank you for your feedback. It seems it would be better to put such reference, but to maintain the flow of figure number, we can’t put it there. We have added all references of figure 4 in next paragraph. In next sub topic figure 5 is also well explained. So, we think it is not necessary.

6. Language and Style

The language is generally clear but could be tightened to enhance readability. Repetitive phrases could be combined or clarified to avoid redundancy. E.g. (1) Line39 “A tremendous ecological environment is the foundation for implementing a rural revitalization strategy and the sustained driving force for promoting a rural revitalization strategy, a goal for achieving rural revitalization”, a goal for achieving rural revitalization” is repetitive; (2) Line 40-45. You mentioned China 3 times in succession and there is no need-- readers are already informed by “As the world's largest developing country....”. There are many redundancies throughout the entire text, to name just a few."

Response: Thank you for your detailed feedback. We have reduced the all the redundancy mentioned here and non-mentioned also and improve English.

Avoid using the same word/phrase repeatedly within a single sentence or paragraph. For example, in lines 107-108: “According to the statistics, China's publication volume in rural ecology research accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total publication volume.” Deleting the second 'publication volume' would make the sentence more natural.

 Response: We have reduced the all the redundancy mentioned here and non-mentioned also and improve English.

Some phrases are not expressed naturally in English. E.g. (1) Line38. In English, it is not appropriate to use “tremendous” to describe “environment.”(2) Table one “On behalf of the State”-- “State Representation”.

 

Response; Thank you for your feedback. We have changed “tremendous” to “harmonious” ecological environment and “On behalf of the State” to “Country”.

Line 120 conduct surveys is one of the means to conduct a study, not the focusing of a study.

Response: Thank you for your feedback. We have adopted secondary data from Gansu Province Blue Book.  The term survey on that line represents the survey conducted by mentioned literature. We have added some lines [149-158] to clarify.

Line 128 “foreign scholars” may be ambiguous, as readers of this paper could be from anywhere in the world, not just China.

Response: Thank you for your feedback. We have deleted line 128 as you suggested in “Content and Relevance”.

7. Figures and Tables
8. Figure 1 Different groups of countries are represented by different colors. What do the different colors represent?

Response: Thank you for your query. The color of the bubble represents different countries, and the size of the bubble rep-resents number of publications. Countries which have more collaboration have similar color. Line [122-126] 

2. Figures 4B What's the unit? kilogram or ton?

Response: Thank you for your detailed observation. Unit is ton. Changed in figure too.

3. Line 367 “figure 7”- you mean figure 5.

Response: Thank you for correcting us. Yes, it’s figure 5, we have corrected it.

4. Line 617, line 626“figure 8”- you mean figure 6.

Response: thank you for correcting. Yes, it should be figure 6. We corrected on both caption and mention.

 

Submission Date

27 September 2024

Date of this review

18 Oct 2024 14:29:57

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I have reviewed the manuscript titled “Importance of Farmers' Awareness on Ecological Revitalization to Promote Sustainable Development”. The authors have done a comprehensive revision and have fully responded to the concerns I raised in my earlier comments. I would specifically mention the following.

 

1.      They title is appropriate.

2.      The authors have revised the keywords to fit into the study theme.

3.      They have greatly improved the introduction and included references that are more relevant.

4.      The authors have defined rural revitalization and what it entails in relation to the study theme.

5.      They have demonstrated a lack of ecological knowledge and highlighted the importance of farmers in rural revitalization.

6.      The authors have revised the objectives to make them clear and measurable.

7.      The materials and methods section is now more elaborate and clear to follow.

8.      The results are well reported.

9.      Table and figures are well presented and captioned.

10.  More relevant and current references have been incorporated in the discussion to relate their results with other studies.

11.  The authors have provided references for the fact statements within the text.

12.  Conclusions are concise and supported by data.

13.  References are relevant and current.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

After reading the revised manuscript, I was pleased to find that the authors have revised their manuscript accordingly and responses to my comments and suggestions. My previous suggestions were all incorporated and appropriately addressed. I don’t have further suggestions.