Remote sensing-based detection of agricultural land losses around Greater Cairo since the Egyptian revolution of 2011

Over the last four decades, the loss of agricultural land has been observed in Egypt at high rates. However, the highest rates of losses have occurred since the January 25th revolution in 2011. Greater Cairo (GC), which is the largest metropolitan in Egypt, has witnessed a massive loss of agricultural land since the 2011 revolution. However, until now, no study or official report has revealed the volume of agricultural land losses in this region. This study quantifies agricultural land losses around the GC using Landsat satellite images from 2010 and 2018. Supervised classification was performed using the maximum likelihood algorithm in QGIS software. A post-classification comparison method was applied to detect the land use/land cover changes between the classified images; then, the loss of agricultural land was quantified using Arc GIS software. Visualizations of the gains and losses in agricultural land and the spatial trends of agricultural land losses were created using TerrSet software. The results show that 9600 ha of agricultural land were converted to urban use during 2010–2018, which means that the annual rate of agricultural land loss has tripled and now reaches approximately 1200 ha per year. Decay of executive authority, rapid population growth, real estate market speculation and fragmentation of agricultural land were the main driving factors of agricultural land losses during this period. The results of this research may help decision makers understand the current high rate of agricultural land loss. Hence, appropriate strategies may be adopted to prevent future losses of this valuable land.     

The factors influencing the profitability of leased land on dairy farms in Ireland

The Republic of Ireland possesses a land market that is constrained by minimal sales each year, less than 1%. In an effort to capitalise on milk quota abolition and to increase dairy production, a suite of tax incentives has recently been introduced in the Republic of Ireland to encourage land mobility and long-term leasing among Irish dairy farmers. Using Irish Farm Accountancy Database Network (FADN) data from 2011–2017 to examine this, a Heckman sample selection model explores two aspects; (i) the factors that influence a farmer’s decision to rent, or continue renting, land and (ii) the profitability of dairy farmers renting in land. We find self-selection into the rental market is driven by farm traits that include a high level of hired labour, the presence of a successor, intensive farming practices and dairy discussion group membership. The results show that rental agreements assist farms in achieving economies of scale. The findings provide evidence to support government intervention such as tax incentives for renting out land and knowledge sharing discussion groups.     

The State as Both Regulator and Player: The Politics of Transfer of Development Rights in China

The conventional argument that the introduction of transfer of development rights (TDR) shifts the power of land use regulation from the state to the market is increasingly under challenge. In China, the state's grip on land is reinforced through TDR, in which the state is both regulator and player. This state-dominated form of TDR affects China in three ways. First, competing aspirations of different scales of government complicate how TDR is implemented. Although the central state promotes TDR to maintain a national balance of arable land, some local states instrumentalize it to expand their landed basis of accumulation. Secondly, TDR tends to benefit the state but not its people. It may increase the fiscal income of the sending government and lessen the land shortage of the receiving government, but sometimes at the expense of the interests of land users without land ownership. Thirdly, given the state's deep involvement in TDR programs, the key for China's TDR to protect arable land lies not so much in clear property rights or a fully fledged market as in effective checks and balances regarding the state's powers over TDR. These three observations attest to the embeddedness of TDR in the local political economy.     

泸县农村宅基地有偿使用制度改革效果评价

[目的]宅基地有偿使用制度研究有利于推进宅基地制度改革,缓解无偿无限期带来的土地超占乱占和闲置问题。[方法]文章运用层次分析法和模糊综合评价法对2016年和2018年泸县农村宅基地有偿使用制度改革政策效果进行评价。[结果]政策的开展能有效推进村民自治建设进程,但政策的实施要注重公开透明性;有偿使用政策能有效缓解一户多宅、低效闲置、超占乱占等土地浪费现象实现土地的节约集约利用;政策的实施能有效地改善基础设施和农村面貌,但对泸县生产方式转变、新业态发展、农户生活水平提升影响力较小;总体来看农户对有偿使用政策满意度和支持度较高。[结论]针对当前有偿使用制度改革,该文认为宅基地有偿使用制度改革还应该完善有偿使用费收取管理政策,增强政策执行透明度;注重基层队伍建设,实现有偿使用费保值增值;合理选择安置模式,发展农村新业态;加强宅基地有偿使用与有偿退出的高效联动,推进宅基地制度改革进程。     

土地整治地方标准化实践与思考

本分在充分调研9省（区、市）土地整治地方标准化建设工作的基础上，系统总结了现阶段土地整治地方标准化建设现状，并对存在的问题进行了深入分析，提出了新时期推进土地整治地方标准化建设的6点建议。     

农村土地的确权流转问题——基于马克思资源配置理论的分析

为了确保农村土地的正常流转,要求建立明晰的产权结构,因而也就产生了土地确权的要求。本文旨在通过描述目前农村土地确权流转的背景及现状,运用马克思的资源配置理论中的土地产权理论和级差地租理论对土地确权流转过程进行理论分析,并且针对现实中存在的问题,相应的从健全农地流转市场、加大金融保险支持力度、抑制"非粮化"、确保农民主体地位等方面提出了对策建议。     

基于农民异质性的土地流转、专业合作社与农业技术推广研究——以江苏泗阳县X镇为例

土地规模经营与农业先进技术的应用是推动我国农业可持续增长的重要因素。基于农民在经济和社会方面的异质性特点,通过分析江苏泗阳县X镇的案例,研究发现:将土地流转与农民专业合作社结合的模式,不仅可以缓解土地分散经营对农业规模效益的不利影响,而且可以使农民在互相信任的环境中通过"干中学"、接受集中培训等方式推广农业生产技术。因此,政府应推动土地流转并引导农民建立合作组织。     

中国农民集体土地产权配置的实证辨析

在偏重公平价值的中国农民集体土地产权配置的基本框架下,任何追求效率的具体法律安排均无法避免与之发生内在冲突;无论是集体土地所有权的性质悖论、主体悖论还是土地承包经营权的性质悖论都是这种冲突的必然结果。要提高农业生产的效率,必须从实证的角度改革农民集体土地的产权配置,化解现存悖论;改革只能以明晰土地承包经营权的物权性质为切入点。     

中国工业化、城市化进程中农地市场与产权关系探讨

本文在阐述产权与市场关系的基础上,通过对工业化、城市化进程中农地市场发育、发展及完善与农地产权制度演进、优化的一般模式考察,结合现实的中国工业化、城市化进程中农地市场发育与农地产权演变关系的实证分析,在新兴古典经济学的框架内给出了农村土地产权制度创新的新思路:从培育、健全和完善农地市场入手,在渐进的城乡土地市场对接过程中,实现由市场优化选择的农地产权结构和产权关系的制度安排。