Livestock husbandry insurance (LHI) is increasingly gaining acceptance in developing countries, relative to its efficacy in mitigating the covariate risks faced by households in vulnerable agrarian communities. However, this risk-mitigating tool has received little research attention in the context of Chinese herders. The current study focused on the status, and determinants of herders’ willingness to purchase LHI. We used a contingent valuation approach to collect data from 450 households across three grassland types in Inner Mongolia. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the collected data. We show that herders’ level of awareness and acceptance of LHI are below expectations. Our results further indicated that herders with higher education level, livestock number, risk perception level, awareness, and contracted grassland area are more likely to purchase LHI. Policymakers and insurers should design programs that will educate herders on LHI while taking cognizance of other critical factors that influence households to purchase insurance. This will go a long way in scaling-up the attractiveness of LHI to herders and the agrarian community at large.

We analyzed the primary livelihood risks faced by livestock-herding households across six counties and three grassland types in Inner Mongolia. The major livelihood risks were natural, market, financial, and policy. These risks are influenced by changes in stocking rate (SR), which are critical for controlling livestock numbers and averting risks associated with overgrazing in natural grasslands. We propose a correction method for SR based on hay purchase from a survey of 450 herders. We compared the distribution of households’ SR after the correction and used a multiple linear regression model to empirically test the effect of livelihood risks on SR. The empirical model passed robustness test and the regression results of variables were robust. SR declined across grassland types after hay purchases. The SR of the meadow steppe was reduced by 35%, typical steppe by 23%, and desert steppe by 32%. Various factors affected changes in SR, including ecological subsidies to household income, timely access to market information, and annual livestock losses. We discuss implications of our findings for policy, market transactions, livestock insurance, social security, and formal credit systems in pastoral areas.

Apiculture is an important industry closely related to the national economy and people’s livelihoods. Beekeepers’ behavior is an important factor affecting the yield, quality, and benefits of apiculture. However, there is a lack of a systematic understanding of the long-term changes in beekeeping decisions made by beekeepers. Using panel data, we analyzed the dynamic trends and related influencing factors of decisions made by beekeeping models, honey source plant selection, and the migration flow space of beekeepers from 2009 to 2020. The results showed that the proportion of the LMB model decreased, while the PAB and SMB models continued to increase, the frequency of utilization of the main nectar source plants for honey collection decreased, and the concentration of migratory flow of beekeeping increased. Behavior of beekeepers from 2009 to 2020 showed a certain degree of spatial contraction, which seriously restricted the effective use of nectar plant resources. Family attributes, economic status, beekeeping models, and disaster conditions directly or indirectly affected beekeepers’ decisions. We propose a series of recommendations to facilitate the transformation and advancement of the Chinese bee industry. This study promotes an understanding of sustainable development of the bee industry in China and other countries worldwide.