中文摘要：

西北地区地域广阔，地貌类型多样，具有发展特色农业的比较优势。然而，受自然条件、资源禀赋、市场容量、增收潜力、粮食安全与生态环境等因素的综合制约，不宜高估西部特色农业发展的潜力。从区域宏观层面进行西北特色农业发展潜力的客观评价，对于利用有限资金，适度发挥特色农业资源的比较优势，科学协调农村脱贫致富与生态环境保护关系。促进区域社会经济可持续发展，具有重要的战略意义。

英文摘要：

There is a certain potentiality of characteristic agriculture in Northwest China, however, considering such factors as natural conditions and resources, potentiality of demand and increasing income, food security and ecological safety, and so on. It is unsuitable to overestimate the potentiality of characteristic agriculture. So, it is of strategic interest to analyze and evaluate objectively the potentiality of characteristic agriculture for highly efficient utilizing scarce fund, moderate bringing comparative advantage of characteristic agriculture into play and harmonizing economic development and ecological protection. The historical opportunity to develop characteristic agriculture based on plentiful agricultural resources in Western China will be coming after China entering the WTO and actualizing the Strategy for Development in Western area. Thus, the direction and objectives of characteristic agriculture development must be give prominence to four tendencies such as specialization in different regions, high quality of products, agricultural industrialization, and ecological healthy. In order to emphasize characteristics and regional keystone in overall arrangement, the characteristic agriculture ought to developing along transportation road then use it as role model, and give a preferential chance to four key economic zones in Western China.