Land Use Policy and Food Security

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Energy, Land and Food (WELF) Nexus".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 November 2024 | Viewed by 5677

Special Issue Editors

Sichuan Center for Rural Development Research, College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: land use policy; sustainable livelihoods and poverty; emergency management; rural sustainable development; climate change and behavioral response; resources and environment policy; policy evaluation; rural revitalization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Economics, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 610074, China
Interests: farmers’ livelihood; ecological protection; green and low carbon; disaster economy; sustainable development; resource and environmental carrying capacity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
Interests: land use policy; sustainable development of mountain areas; sustainable livelihoods for farmers; resources and environment policy; rural sustainable development; land use transformation; rural revitalization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food security is the foundation of the stable development of human society and economy, and the land use policy of a country is closely related to food security. For example, in recent years, China has implemented a large number of land use policies (such as high-standard farmland construction, one household and one field, and the separation of three rights, etc.), which have profoundly affected the development of related markets (non-agricultural employment market, land transfer market, and socialized service market), changed the pattern of land use by farmers (self-support, transfer and abandon land), and contributed to the food security and sustainable development of China and even the world. However, we still lack systematic research and understanding on how these useful land use policies systematically affect market development, how to reshape farmers' land use patterns, how to change farmers’ planting structure, and how to ensure farmers’ food security and sustainable development. Based on this background, this Special Issue is dedicated to building a theoretical and practical research platform for studies systematically assessing the direct and indirect impacts of land use policies on food security and sustainable development. Original research and review articles in this research field are welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Evolution of logic and enlightenment of land use policy;
  • Land use policy and market development;
  • Land use policy and food security;
  • Land use policy and sustainable development.

Dr. Dingde Xu
Dr. Shili Guo
Dr. Shaoquan Liu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • land use policy
  • food security
  • moderate scale management
  • social service scale management
  • sustainable rural development
  • agricultural systems

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1768 KiB  
Article
Influencing Factors of Peasant Households’ Willingness to Relocate to Concentrated Residences in Mountainous Areas: Evidence from Rural Southwest China
by Jia Zhong, Qian Cao, Ruiyin Chen, Shaoquan Liu, Zhaoyang Lian, Hui Yu and Ningchuan Zhou
Land 2024, 13(10), 1705; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13101705 - 18 Oct 2024
Abstract
Relocating poor people in mountainous areas to centralized settlement sites is an important poverty alleviation policy implemented by China and a key measure to promote stable poverty alleviation and sustainable rural development for the poor. Based on the survey data of 405 peasant [...] Read more.
Relocating poor people in mountainous areas to centralized settlement sites is an important poverty alleviation policy implemented by China and a key measure to promote stable poverty alleviation and sustainable rural development for the poor. Based on the survey data of 405 peasant households in the Panxi Area in 2021, this study constructed a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the influencing factors of peasant households’ willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. The results showed the following: (1) Of the 405 peasant households surveyed, 20.98% were unwilling to move to centralized resettlement sites, making it more difficult to carry out the relocation policy for poverty alleviation. (2) Living environment, living conditions, important social groups, the economic benefits, living benefits, and survival benefits brought by concentrated residences, governments, and the village committees significantly influenced the willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. In contrast, agricultural income, ecological benefits, and value benefits brought by the concentrated residence had little effect on the willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. (3) Land force, human force, cognitive force, and national force significantly positively affected the peasant households’ willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. This study is of great significance in promoting the implementation of poverty alleviation and relocation policy, improving the efficiency of relocation and promoting the wellbeing of peasant households. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Policy and Food Security)
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23 pages, 504 KiB  
Article
Effects of Conservation Tillage on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity in Black Soil Region: Evidence from Heilongjiang Province, China
by Mei Zhang, Hanye Zhang, Yun Deng and Chuanqi Yi
Land 2024, 13(8), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081212 - 6 Aug 2024
Viewed by 862
Abstract
The implementation of conservation tillage is crucial for the preservation and utilization of black soil. This study examined 297 new agricultural management entities in five pilot counties in the black soil region of northeast China. Using the SBM-Undesirable model, this study measured and [...] Read more.
The implementation of conservation tillage is crucial for the preservation and utilization of black soil. This study examined 297 new agricultural management entities in five pilot counties in the black soil region of northeast China. Using the SBM-Undesirable model, this study measured and evaluated the agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) of these entities. We further employed the Tobit model to explore the impact of conservation tillage on the AGTFP. The findings revealed that the average AGTFP value of the sample entities was 0.4364, indicating a generally low degree of AGTFP that exhibited significant variation. Improvement in input indicators (such as machinery) and undesirable output indicators (such as net carbon emissions) was particularly needed. Additionally, conservation tillage had a significant positive impact on AGTFP, with a higher number of applied technologies correlating with increased productivity. Material subsidies for conservation tillage offered greater direct cost relief and had a stronger positive effect on AGTFP in comparison with cash subsidies. Furthermore, apart from policy factors, key production and operation characteristics—such as access to agricultural materials—also significantly influenced AGTFP. The results of this study offer a valuable decision-making framework and scientific reference for countries in black soil regions worldwide, enabling them to enhance the conservation and sustainable utilization of this vital resource. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Policy and Food Security)
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17 pages, 823 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Farmers’ E-Commerce Adoption on Land Transfer: Evidence from Ten Provinces across China
by Yitao Wang, Weidong Wang, Xuemei Jiang and Hui Wang
Land 2024, 13(7), 1066; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071066 - 16 Jul 2024
Viewed by 625
Abstract
Rural e-commerce is rapidly expanding in rural China, profoundly affecting the agricultural and rural development of China. This paper focuses on the impact of farmers’ e-commerce adoption on land transfer, aiming to reveal the role of farmers’ e-commerce adoption in promoting rural transformation. [...] Read more.
Rural e-commerce is rapidly expanding in rural China, profoundly affecting the agricultural and rural development of China. This paper focuses on the impact of farmers’ e-commerce adoption on land transfer, aiming to reveal the role of farmers’ e-commerce adoption in promoting rural transformation. Based on the 2020 Comprehensive Survey of Rural Revitalization in China conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, this study employs the method of least squares and propensity score matching to evaluate the impact of farmers’ e-commerce adoption on land-transfer behaviors in China. The results indicate that farmers’ e-commerce adoption promotes farmers’ participation in land transfer, significantly facilitating farmers’ land transfer in and increasing the area of land acquired. Additionally, farmers’ e-commerce adoption also promotes the trend of standardization and contractualization in land transfer, significantly increasing the probability of farmers signing formal agreements, clarifying lease terms, and renting land to strangers when acquiring land. This study can provide some theoretical inputs for policies to promote the development of agricultural land markets in developing countries and for policy formulation to promote e-commerce development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Policy and Food Security)
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24 pages, 663 KiB  
Article
Study on the Spatial Effects of Grain Change on Food Security of Feed from the Perspective of Big Food
by Qiang Chen, Zhiming Yu, Hua Deng and Haitao Wu
Land 2024, 13(7), 1063; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071063 - 16 Jul 2024
Viewed by 903
Abstract
Using panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2020, this paper uses a spatial double difference model to evaluate the policy impact of the “grain-to-feed” policy on feed grain production in pilot areas and adjacent spatial areas. Research has found [...] Read more.
Using panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2020, this paper uses a spatial double difference model to evaluate the policy impact of the “grain-to-feed” policy on feed grain production in pilot areas and adjacent spatial areas. Research has found that the “grain-to-feed” policy has a significant impact on the feed grain production in pilot areas and can significantly increase the feed grain production in pilot areas by about 2.71 million tons. The “grain-to-feed” policy has strengthened the positive connection between pilot areas and adjacent pilot areas, increased feed grain production, and has a significant spatial spillover effect. Robustness analysis shows that whether using different methods to measure spatial adjacency or using different standards to distribute subsidies, the “grain-to-feed” policy can significantly increase feed grain production, narrow the supply and demand gap of feed grain, and ensure feed grain security. Further analysis shows that the “grain-to-feed” policy can not only ensure the security of feed grain for the current and next periods but also promote the increase in farmers’ income, which is long-term and sustainable. Compared with non-pilot areas, the “grain-to-feed” policy can mitigate the negative impact of wage–price signals on feed grain production in pilot areas. It is recommended that government departments accelerate the transformation of food security concepts, establish a “Big Food Perspective”, gradually promote the pilot of the “grain-to-feed” policy nationwide, increase the subsidy amount of the “grain-to-feed” policy, increase financial support for scientific and technological research and achievement transformation in the field of feed grain, prevent the impact of economic price signal fluctuations on feed grain production, and effectively ensure the security of feed grain in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Policy and Food Security)
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17 pages, 58512 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Distribution and Driving Mechanisms of Cropland Long-Term Stability in China from 1990 to 2018
by Yuchen Zhong, Jun Sun, Qi Wang, Dinghua Ou, Zhaonan Tian, Wuhaomiao Yu, Peixin Li and Xuesong Gao
Land 2024, 13(7), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071016 - 8 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 658
Abstract
Long-term stability is crucial in cropland for maintaining stable agricultural production and ensuring national food security. However, relatively few studies have been conducted on the long-term stability of cropland at the national level. This study assessed the long-term stability of cropland in China [...] Read more.
Long-term stability is crucial in cropland for maintaining stable agricultural production and ensuring national food security. However, relatively few studies have been conducted on the long-term stability of cropland at the national level. This study assessed the long-term stability of cropland in China from 1990 to 2018 using a fine-resolution land use dataset. The experimental results indicated that the average area of unstable cropland in China from 1990 to 2018 amounted to 2.08 × 106 km2, 47.31% of the total. The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau exhibited the highest average proportion of unstable cropland at 65.9%, followed by the northern arid and semiarid region, Southern China, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. The quantity of unstable cropland in China initially declined before increasing, reaching a final growth rate of 5.09%. Furthermore, this study explored the relevant driving factors of cropland’s long-term stability from both natural factors and human activities based on artificial neural networks. The relative importance of distance to vegetation reached a value of 0.30, indicating that it had the most significant influence on the long-term stability of cropland, followed by relief amplitude and soil type. This phenomenon may be attributed to the inadequate execution of the Grain for Green Policy and the requisition–compensation balance of cropland policy, along with the depletion of young and middle-aged laborers due to urban migration from rural areas. Local governments should focus on addressing the unsustainable exploitation of sloped land in rural mountainous or hilly regions while preventing urban developers from appropriating fertile cropland to compensate for less fertile areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Policy and Food Security)
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23 pages, 6276 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Evaluation and Evolution Characteristics of Consistency Level of Black Soil Conservation Policy, Taking China’s Black Soil Protection Policy as an Example
by Fan Zhang, Peng Han, Ling Wu and Zhanwei Tian
Land 2024, 13(6), 800; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060800 - 5 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 748
Abstract
Scientifically evaluating China’s black soil protection policy and exploring its evolution characteristics are crucial for promoting high-quality and efficient black soil protection projects worldwide. Utilizing the Policy Modeling Consistency (PMC) index model, the effectiveness of China’s black soil protection policy system is assessed. [...] Read more.
Scientifically evaluating China’s black soil protection policy and exploring its evolution characteristics are crucial for promoting high-quality and efficient black soil protection projects worldwide. Utilizing the Policy Modeling Consistency (PMC) index model, the effectiveness of China’s black soil protection policy system is assessed. Building upon this evaluation, the research delves into the evolution process of the black soil protection policy system, examining its dynamic characteristics across different government levels. Through the application of text mining technology and visual analysis techniques, the study explores four dimensions: keyword co-occurrence, vertical synergy calculation, policy theme identification, and policy tool analysis. The results show the following: (1) The PMC index showed a phased growth trend, and various indicators gradually improved and tended to be stable. (2) Government policies at the same level exhibit progressive evolution patterns in terms of policy keywords and themes. (3) Across different levels of government, there are hierarchical lag evolution rules observed in policy keywords and provincial policy tools. Additionally, policy keywords display vertical synergy evolution patterns. In conclusion, future black soil conservation policies need to reduce hierarchical delays, enhance the coverage and comprehensiveness of policy content, and establish a sound policy feedback mechanism. The conclusions of the study are significant for improving management approaches throughout the black soil zones of the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Policy and Food Security)
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23 pages, 1925 KiB  
Article
Farmland Rental Market, Outsourcing Services Market and Agricultural Green Productivity: Implications for Multiple Forms of Large-Scale Management
by Heng Zhang and Xiangyu Guo
Land 2024, 13(5), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050676 - 13 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 779
Abstract
Large-scale management is the key to realizing long-term agricultural growth in smallholder countries. Land-scale management and service-scale management are two forms of agricultural large-scale management. The former is committed to changing the small-scale management pattern, but the latter tends to maintain it. There [...] Read more.
Large-scale management is the key to realizing long-term agricultural growth in smallholder countries. Land-scale management and service-scale management are two forms of agricultural large-scale management. The former is committed to changing the small-scale management pattern, but the latter tends to maintain it. There has been a lack of discussion and controversy about the relationship between the two. From the perspective of market maturity, this paper explores whether the two are complementary or mutually exclusive and how their complementary or mutually exclusive relationship affects agricultural green productivity. The results show the following: Land-scale management and service-scale management are complementary, not superficially contradictory. The benign interaction between the two has a consistent improvement effect on green productivity in both the short and long term, which has spatial spillovers appearing in the long term. The reasons are as follows: The farmland rental market can reverse the inhibitory effect of the current low-maturity outsourcing services market on green productivity. The outsourcing services market can delay the arrival of the inflection point beyond which expansion of farmland rental transactions reduces green productivity, and amplify the positive effect of farmland rental on it. Although the degree of benign interaction between the two forms of large-scale management has gradually increased in recent years, it is still low overall. Agricultural large-scale management in China is still in the stage driven by land-scale management. Smallholder countries such as China need not worry prematurely about which large-scale management path to take, and they should treat both forms of large-scale management with an equal perspective to accelerate the high-level interaction between them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Policy and Food Security)
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