How do centrality,population growth and urban sprawl impact farmland conversion in Norway?

A strong link has been observed between urbanization processes and conversions of farmland to built-up land. Most previous research has addressed such conversion of farmland in relation to the expansion of larger cities. However, broader analysis of both rural and central areas is needed to increase the empirical basis for these claims. Based on GIS analysis of farmland conversions, this paper aims to expand our understanding of how urban sprawl affects conversion of farmland. We find that most farmland in Norway is converted to built-up areas in relation to existing urban settlement areas. In line with population growth, urban areas in the most central municipalities experience the most significant urban sprawl and loss of farmland. Moreover, the remaining farmland is located in the same areas that already have converted the most. These areas also experience significant pressure for continued land take. Assuming current trends continue, future urban sprawl will pose great challenges for the preservation of farmland in land-use planning. New research and policies are required to handle these challenges more effectively.     

Delineation of a permanent basic farmland protection area around a city centre: Case study of Changzhou City,China

The delineation of permanent basic farmland will safeguard the production baseline of China’s agricultural development by securing easily appropriated, high-quality farmland surrounding urban areas, thereby strictly controlling the use of farmland (especially high-quality farmland surrounding urban areas) facing accelerated urban expansion. This study researched the delineation of permanent basic farmland in a typical region undergoing rapid urbanization. By constructing a systematic classification model, farmland was classified into matrix, edge, and island farmlands in order to analyze farmland contiguity and fragmentation. Based on the indicator requirements of various plans related to farmland, an evaluation indicator system was constructed in order to develop an evaluation model for comprehensive farmland productivity. From the perspective of farmland spatial contiguity and highly efficient productivity, a delineation model for permanent basic farmland was proposed to delimit the permanent protection and utilization boundaries for high-quality farmland around urban areas. The results show the following: (1) matrix and edge farmlands can intuitively display farmland contiguity characteristics; (2) comprehensive farmland productivity was closely related to farmland spatial patterns, supporting infrastructure, and policy management and protection; and (3) there was a high degree of spatial overlap between contiguous and highly productive farmland. The model took both comprehensive farmland productivity and spatial clustering into consideration in order to delineate permanent basic farmland, which is a beneficial factor in protecting farmland quality and safeguarding sustainable farmland utilization. It can also be used as a control line to limit urban sprawl, guide urban cluster development, and improve economical and intensive urban land use.     

城市扩张对大城市周边基本农田的影响——以西安市长安区为例

[目的]随着城市化与工业化进程的加快,城市扩张与基本农田保护之间的矛盾日益突出。研究快速城市化下基本农田的变化,能够为相关规划的编制和保护政策的制定提供科学支撑。[方法]文章以西安市长安区为例,以2009年二调基本农田和2012年规划基本农田为基础数据,基于Arc GIS技术与景观格局分析方法,对比长安区基本农田的数量、质量差异及空间分布特征,探讨城市建设用地扩张与土地增值收益对基本农田变化的影响。[结果](1)基本农田数量有所增加,质量有所下降;(2)基本农田空间分布呈现出由中心向外围扩散趋势,破碎化程度提高;(3)城市扩张的土地来源主要是增量土地,新增建设用地主要由农地转化而来,基本农田被侵占明显,且沿主要道路和乡镇边界被侵占严重;(4)基本农田转变用途后的巨大增值空间是城市扩张的主要动机。[结论]城市扩张会导致大城市周边基本农田质量的下降,同时既要保基本农田数量又要保经济发展的矛盾迫使基本农田破碎化程度提高。     

非农就业对农户农地价值预期的影响研究——来自CHFS的实证分析

目的 在我国农村人口非农就业转移进程不断加深背景下,非农就业活动改变了农户家庭与农地之间的依附关系,研究非农就业活动对农户农地价值预期的影响,既有助于理解农地价值形成机理,又对推进我国农业农村现代化具有重要意义。方法 文章基于2015年中国家庭金融调查（CHFS）农户层面的微观数据,以耕地作为农地的代表,采用OLS回归模型和中介效应模型实证分析非农就业对农户农地价值预期的影响。结果 非农就业并未降低农户对农地的依赖、减少耕地要素投入,相反非农就业增强了土地替代要素的投入、激发了农户农转非的资本积累需求,从而导致农户提高了农地的价值预期。结论 （1）我国农户的非农就业转移并未完成,亟需创新和完善农村土地流转机制;（2）农地依旧是农户生存的重要保证,需积极支撑或培育专业化农业生产性服务业和智能化农业机械制造业的发展,弥补农业劳动力非农转移带来的负面效应,加快推进我国农业农村现代化。     

Potential impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian farmland markets

Evidence from the past 50 years suggests that changes in Canadian farmland values are influenced by farming returns, real interest rates, and exchange rates. Residential and commercial development also affects the value of farmland close to major urban centers. The COVID-19 economic shutdown is expected to reduce crop and livestock returns, which will put downward pressure on farmland values. The magnitude of this downward pressure will depend on the extent and the length of the recession. The evolution of interest rates over the next months and years could have a significant impact on farmland values. Historically, low real interest rates have coincided with higher farmland values, whereas high real interest rates have caused significant reductions in farmland values. The development value of farmland close to major cities could be negatively impacted by a sharp downturn in residential and commercial property markets.     

Compliance of land cover changes with municipal land use planning: Evidence from the Lisbon metropolitan region (1990–2007)

In the past few decades, urbanisation has become a major phenomenon in European cities, thus representing one of the key human land cover changes with socio-economic and environmental impacts. In the Lisbon metropolitan region it is estimated that 17% of natural and farmland have been transformed into artificial areas. Since the end of 1990s, specific EU guidelines have been issued to contain urban sprawl and preserve agricultural land. Spatial planning in Portugal obviously is integrating these assumptions into the statutory land-use master plans. But what is the performance of this land use planning system regarding land cover evolution itself? Based on the Lisbon metropolitan region (LMR), one of the major areas of urban growth in Portugal, we examine spatio-temporal land cover patterns between 1990 and 2007 by integrating cross-matrix analysis, spatial metrics, and gradient analysis. Additionally, we overlay these land cover dynamics with municipal master plans that regulate land development in order to assess the compliance levels of this land-use regulatory system. Results indicate that: artificial areas are growing by coalescence and/or by scattered development along an urban–rural gradient; agricultural land is reducing and fragmentation is increasing to enlarge peri-urban spaces; there are high levels of conversion of agricultural land into urban land in protected areas, thus showing a lack of compliance to the land use regulatory system visible in the existing gaps between the original land-use assignments of the master plan and the actual developments.     

A REGRESSION TEST OF THE PRESENT VALUE MODEL OF US FARMLAND PRICES

Regression methods previously employed to study stock price movements are used to test how well the present value model under rational expectations explains farmland price movements. Based on data on farmland prices and rents (returns to landownership) covering the period 1921-89 from three agricultural regions in the United States, the empirical results reject the present value model under rational expectations. These results suggest that farmers may be well-characterised as displaying satisficing rather than profit-maximising behaviour.     

Why Isn’t More US Farmland Organic?

We develop a theoretical model to assess the dollar compensation required to induce conventional growers to convert to organic. The model incorporates the uncertainty in producers’ expectations about future returns and about the impact of policy changes on these expectations in particular. We demonstrate that a new policy which favours organic can have opposing effects on the rate of conversion. An increase in relative returns to organic today will increase conversion rates. However, if the future of the policy programme is uncertain, its introduction can increase the value of waiting to switch, which will decrease conversion rates. We then develop an empirical switching regression model that enables direct estimation of the value associated with being able to postpone the conversion decision until some of the uncertainty is resolved. The model is applied to data on organic and conventional soybeans before and after major changes in US farm policy toward organic growers. The results suggest that sunk costs associated with conversion to organic coupled with uncertainty about future returns can help to explain why there is so little organic farmland in the USA.     

The Edmonton-Calgary corridor: Simulating future land cover change under potential government intervention

The region connecting Edmonton and Calgary, the two largest cities in Alberta, contains rich agricultural land and is one of the most rapidly changing areas in the province. There is little legislation to restrict urban sprawl or adequately protect agricultural land or native grasslands, and there has been little research to predict future alteration. The main study objectives are, therefore, to assess historical changes in the Edmonton-Calgary corridor from 1984 to 2013 and simulate the future landscape change to 2022 under potential government intervention scenarios. Satellite imagery from Landsat, used in conjunction with biogeophysical variables, was used to create a history of cover in the Edmonton-Calgary area. This history of the environment can be used as a baseline to project changes into the future. Testing different legislative scenarios under two major branches of modifying rates of change or locations of change can be used to identify effective policies for limiting damage to the environment while still allowing for urban growth. Five scenarios were created for this purpose: (1) business as usual, (2) increased rate of urban expansion, (3) no urban expansion, (4) implementation of greenbelts around urban areas, (5) protection of the best agricultural land. This study finds that over the past 30 years, urban area has nearly doubled in size, targeting predominately farmland, especially due to an increase in rural subdivisions. Each scenario impacts growth differently, however, greenbelts and the no expansion model decease growth the most, while the agricultural protection is comparable to the business as usual scenario.     

Urban encroachment,forest regrowth and land-use institutions: Does zoning matter?

As concern grows regarding urban sprawl and forest and agricultural land preservation, the effectiveness of land-use policies in shaping land-use change warrants further study. We evaluate the impact of county-level zoning laws, the most predominant land use policy in the USA, and land rents on the relative amounts of forest, agricultural, and developed land, while controlling for demographic information and taxation rates. Over the past decades, southern Indiana has experienced forest regrowth on private lands, but this regrowth has declined in recent years with increased conversion of open space for urban residential development. We develop a model of land-use shares in 40 southern Indiana counties based on the net benefits to agriculture, forestland, and urban uses using a maximum likelihood estimation of a Dirichlet distribution. We find agricultural land rent and indicators of land productivity are the most important predictors of the proportion of agriculture and urban uses. Forest use is better explained by shifting regional economic structure and hilly terrain. Counties with a greater proportion of their work force in the service sectors have a greater proportion of land forested. Finally, to some extent zoning may protect agricultural land in the region, although land rents, land characteristics, and population are strong predictors of the ratio of agriculture to urban use.     

The Amenity Value of Agricultural Landscape and Rural–Urban Land Allocation

We analyse rural–urban land allocation in the light of the increasing environmental role of agricultural landscapes. The landscape amenity value of farmland varies across crops and as a result affects the optimal crop mix in addition to its effect on rural–urban land allocation. Investigating the effects of population and income growth processes, we find that, contrary to market outcomes, the socially optimal allocation may call for more farmland preservation under both processes. In an empirical application to a region in Israel, we find that the extent of market under‐supply of farmland is substantial and that population growth calls for more farmland preservation at the expense of urban land.     

Prices paid for farmland in Ontario: Does buyer type matter?

In the wake of the substantial increases in farmland values that have occurred in Ontario since 2008, concerns have been expressed regarding the potential influence of nonfarmer buyers, such as investment companies and foreign buyers, on prices paid for farmland. To examine whether these concerns may be warranted, this paper estimates the impact of nonfarmer buyers on sale prices for farmland in Ontario, using a hedonic approach and farmland sales data from 2002 to 2016. Analysis is also conducted to determine whether marginal implicit prices of specific farm attributes differ between farmer buyers and nonfarmer buyers. The results indicate that nonfarmer buyers have paid higher prices for farmland, but only in near‐urban areas. In addition, differences in marginal implicit prices for farmland attributes are found, where farmer buyers value more highly attributes related to the agricultural productivity of the property while nonfarmer buyers value more highly attributes related to nonagricultural use. These results imply that the higher prices paid by nonfarmers may be attributable to the bid‐rent theory, as nonfarmers may be bidding more than farmers for farmland in near‐urban areas due to higher expected returns from future urban use of the land.     

Determinants of Residential Land-Use Conversion and Sprawl at the Rural-Urban Fringe

We estimate a probit model of residential land conversion using parcel-level data from a rural-urban county in Ohio. Spatial landscape pattern metrics are used to quantify land-use patterns and to link patterns of residential sprawl with factors estimated to influence parcel-level land conversion. Findings indicate that the location of new residential development is influenced by preferences for lower density areas that nonetheless are close to existing urban development. Combined, these forces have generated a moderated pattern of residential sprawl. Spatial error autocorrelation is controlled using a spatial sampling technique that enables consistent estimation of the probit model.     

Comparing states with and without growth management analysis based on indicators with policy implications comment

In a recent volume of this journal, Nelson (Land Use Policy 16 (1999) 121) defines and computes several statewide indicators designed to evaluate the effectiveness of growth management efforts in Oregon and Florida. Two indicators are intended to measure how well states have contained urban sprawl and preserved farmland. They are computed using US Census of Population and US Census of Agriculture data. In this comment, I highlight potential problems associated with using these data to evaluate urban sprawl and farmland preservation, and recompute Nelson's indicators using alternative land use data. Differences and similarities between my indicators and those computed by Nelson are discussed.     

地方政府农地非农化偏好方式选择的绩效评价理论模型

农地非农化作为城市土地的主要供给手段对城市和农村的兴衰及发展都有较大的影响,而许多地方政府在农地非农化的方式选择上却存在一定的盲目性,以致影响城乡的统筹发展.通过对征用和流转这两种农地非农化方式的绩效评价分析,归纳出地方政府农地非农化偏好方式选择的绩效评价标准,以土地结构效应、经济效应、公平效应为表现,制度经济学的方法为基础,初步提出了现行的地方政府农地非农化偏好方式选择的绩效评价指标体系,并进行了相应的理论分析,提出了相应的政策建议.     

1997—2008年青岛市农地非农化过程与效果实证研究

研究目的:研究青岛市1997—2008年间不同经济增长阶段农地非农化特征,探讨影响农地非农化因素的差异性,估算农地非农化对经济增长的贡献率以及对产业结构变动的作用。研究方法:采取实证研究,运用对比分析,建立灰色关联模型、柯布—道格拉斯生产函数和环境库兹涅茨曲线。研究结果:(1)青岛市农地非农化过程具有显著阶段性特征;(2)建设用地增加与相关经济社会数据关联度普遍不高,且极差较小;(3)建设用地增量对二三产业增加值贡献率远低于固定资产投资;(4)农地非农化趋势具有典型的环境库兹涅茨曲线特征。研究结论:强化土地利用总体规划的空间约束力,加强土地利用年度计划对农地非农化的引导,合理把握农地非农化节奏,加大农转用批后监管力度,盘活存量和批而未供土地,避免农地的过度非农化。     

基于DEA的区域农地生产效率差异研究

研究目的：对中国“七五”到“十五”期间区域农地的生产效率差异进行比较研究。研究方法：数据包络分析DEA的C2R模型和BC2模型。研究结果：（1）传统农业大省和经济发达地区的农地综合生产效率和技术效率较高,农业生产具有优势。（2）规模收益值的计算结果显示,东中部地区农业生产的投入结构存在着问题,西部地区投入不足。（3）从时间序列的比较分析中发现,在“十五”期间各地区的农地生产效率都出现了下降趋势,表明工业化和城市化对中国农业生产存在较大影响。     

征收和出让土地中政府干预对土地配置效率影响的定量研究

研究目的:定量评价征收和出让土地中的政府干预对土地资源从农业用地转为城市建设用地的配置效率的影响。研究方法:建立包含征收、一级出让和二级转让的多市场均衡模型,并进行实证研究。研究结果:1999—2005年征收和出让土地中的政府干预造成江西省鹰潭市农地资源被城市建设用地过度占用达183.48 hm2,占总非农化面积的33.73%。研究结论:征收和出让土地中的政府干预造成农地过度非农化,致使农村和城市土地利用效率的降低。     

Conversion of agricultural and forest land to other purposes in the context of land protection: Evidence from Polish experience

The protection of agricultural land and forests is a relatively new concept in Poland, and it began with forest protection in the 1920s. The first regulations on the protection of agricultural land were introduced only in the 1960s. Agricultural land and forests received comprehensive protection pursuant to the provisions of the Act of 26 October 1977 on the protection of agricultural land, forests and land recultivation. This legal act set the foundations for the protection of farmland and forests in successive decades.The aim of this study was to determine the influence of farmland and forest protection on spatial planning and to highlight the loss of agricultural and forest land resulting from conversion to other purposes. Legal regulations pertaining to spatial planning and the protection of agricultural and land forests were analysed. The scale of the problem was identified, and future land-use types were forecast based on the data developed by Statistics Poland (GUS). The existing spatial plans (municipal master plan - MMP) were analysed to determine the conversion loss index (CLI) associated with the conversion of agricultural land and forests to other uses. Legal regulations pertaining to the protection of agricultural land and forests were also analysed, and the extent of the relevant conversion measures was determined. The study demonstrated that urban development and the inevitable urbanization of rural areas contribute to the loss of agricultural and forest land that are converted to other uses.     

农地规模化对农业科研生产率效应的影响研究

文章以农地流转为研究视角,基于中国1988~2012年31个省域面板数据,综合运用固定效应模型与动态门限回归模型,检验农业科技投入对农业生产效率的驱动作用。固定效应模型的分析结果表明,科技投入对农业生产效率提升的效果,受到农地规模的制约;随后的动态面板门限模型显示,以户均农地规模表示的农地流转值存在两个显著的门限。当户均农地规模低于第一个门限值时,科技投入对农业生产效率的影响微弱。随着农地流转的推进,科技促农的效果逐步增强。但当农地面积跨越第二个门限,科技促农系数又降低。因此,在中国农业科技投入有限的常态约束下,应以农地流转政策为契机,协调好农地流转与科技投入的关系而非一味加大科技投入,优化农业科研的区域空间布局,增强科技对中国农业的驱动作用。同时也应采取措施避免农地流转过快带来的负面效应。