Private property and Mennonites are major drivers of forest cover loss in central Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

The role of land tenure and Mennonites as drivers of deforestation in the Central Yucatan Peninsula has not been empirically assessed. We evaluate different drivers and their relationship to forest cover change between 1986 and 2015 and assess how land tenure and Mennonite communities impact forest cover loss in the Municipality of Hopelchen, Campeche, Mexico. This study shows that forest cover loss has increased in the last decade (2005–2015), and that land tenure regime type is associated with this loss. Throughout the study period, statistical comparisons show rates of forest cover loss were significantly higher in private and federal property compared to forests in ejidos (communal property). Forest cover loss in Mennonite private property was also significantly higher than in non-Mennonite owned private property. The role of land tenure and the expansion of the agroindustrial production model as major drivers of forest cover loss in the region provide important insight into developing municipal land use plans and conservation strategies to reduce deforestation. Programs, incentives and policy directed towards forest conservation in the region that typically target ejido communities, will need to consider the growing trend of private property expansion within federal lands and work more closely with private property owners including Mennonite communities if deforestation reduction programs are to be successful.     

Land tenure (in)security and crop-tree intercropping in rural Xinjiang,China

The relationship between land tenure security and long-term land-related investment is of great importance especially given the current flux in property rights systems of agricultural land in China. This paper empirically examines the role of land tenure security in farmers’ crop-tree intercropping decisions, and is based on a comparative analysis between contract land and wasteland holders in rural Xinjiang, China. Data from a survey, carried out in 2008 among 352 households in Awati County in Xinjiang, is used to estimate the factors that affect the adoption of crop-tree intercropping. The results indicate that, for those households that only have contract land, land tenure security positively affects their adoption of crop-tree intercropping. However, for those that hold both contract land and wasteland, land tenure security negatively impacts upon their adoption of crop-tree intercropping on wasteland, as the crop-tree intercropping on wasteland can increase the perceived tenure security of wasteland. The results also suggest that the comprehensive effect of labor organization on intercropping is moderate as a result of the presence of counteracting effects.     

Land occupations and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon

Researchers are increasingly interested in understanding the impact of contentious social processes on land change. In the Brazilian Amazon, there are often contentious interactions between landholders defending private property rights and squatters who have the right to occupy land that is deemed unproductive. Previous studies suggest that the contentious social processes inherent in the Brazilian land tenure and land reform system cause a significant amount of deforestation. An environment of insecure land title, and policies that value deforested land over forested land, among other factors, encourage both landholders and squatters to deforest more land than is necessary for pasture or crop production. This paper examines the impact that land occupations have on deforestation at the municipal scale across the Brazilian Legal Amazon, from 2000 to 2009. We show that land occupations have a direct influence on deforestation. We use spatial analysis as well to show that land occupations have a spatial component in the effect on deforestation: occupations in one municipality affect deforestation in adjacent areas.     

Intermediate levels of property rights and the emerging housing market in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam

Vietnam introduced a Policy of Renovation (‘Doi Moi’ Policy) to restructure the economy in 1986. Under this policy, the Land Use Right Certificate was introduced as a form of tenure for agricultural land and urban land, according to the Land Laws of 1987 and 1993, respectively. However, by 2001, most properties and/or land in Vietnam still did not have a legal title. Although Vietnam's land reforms in the 1990s provided some of the weakest private rights among the transition countries, big cities like Ho Chi Minh City are presently homes to thriving housing markets. Transactions of ‘property without a physical entity and legal title’ in the real estate market show how property ownership can be formed in order to operate within different institutional contexts. This paper highlights that ‘intermediate levels of property rights’ are the driving forces behind the thriving housing market in Ho Chi Minh City.     

Ideal type theories and concrete cases in land science: A multi-step appraisal of the evolutionary theory of land rights in Madre de Dios,Peru

The relationships of regional integration, land tenure and land use have all received substantial previous attention. Nonetheless, existing theoretical frameworks tend to presume ideal types of land tenure in understanding the impacts of regional integration on change in institutions and land use. We therefore evaluate the evolutionary theory of land rights (ETLR) for the case of Madre de Dios, Peru. This is a useful case since tenure for agricultural lands is private individual as the ETLR theorizes, but other characteristics, such as the presence of forest extractivism, depart from the assumptions of the ETLR. We pursue a multi-step analysis of key relationships of the ETLR, focusing particularly on the linkages between highway paving as an indicator of regional integration, titling as a measure of tenure formality, multiple indicators of land market engagement, and land uses with diverse ramifications for ecological sustainability. Findings for the different steps partially support the ETLR for the case of Madre de Dios. Disconfirmation however sometimes occurs due to geographic accidents rather than due to truly contrasting findings. We conclude by discussing the need to identify characteristics of empirical cases that do and do not fit the expectations of theories in order to better evaluate the applicability of theory for analysis and policy.     

Large agricultural investments in Kenya’s Nanyuki Area: Inventory and analysis of business models

Many experts agree that more agricultural investment is needed in the global South to improve local food security and reduce poverty. However, there is a lack of consensus about the types of investment needed to achieve these goals. This paper contributes to the literature on large agricultural investments and corresponding business models by inventorying and analysing such investments in Kenya’s Nanyuki area. We identify four clusters of business models that differ primarily by type of production and other distinct determinants, namely: demand from markets; access to land; land tenure regime and colonial history; actors involved; biophysical context; labour availability; and governance of the value chain via private standards. The study results shed light on the factors that help or hinder implementation of large agricultural investments and shape their impacts in the context of African land use systems. The way land is accessed represents one of the most-decisive factors determining the risks and opportunities associated with such projects. We find that most investments in the Nanyuki area occur on land bought or leased from private owners.     

Population pressure,rural-to-rural migration and evolution of land tenure institutions: The case of Uganda

This study examines the evolutionary process of land tenure systems in Uganda from communal to private ownership with a special attention to the role of rural-to-rural migration as a key driving force. By tracing migration patterns using unique longitudinal household survey data containing detailed information on land tenure and migration history, we found that immigrant-dominated communities have a higher incidence of private land ownership even after controlling for population density and market access. We also found that land markets are more active in immigrant-dominated communities and that private land ownership results in higher agricultural productivity.     

Extra-legal land market dynamics on a Guatemalan agricultural frontier: Implications for neoliberal land policies

Neoliberal land policies such as land administration seek to improve property rights and the efficiency of land markets to boost rural economic production. Quantitative studies of pre-existing land markets can help planners to tailor these policies to local conditions. In this article we examine an extra-legal land market currently being modernized by a World Bank-sponsored land administration effort. Specifically, we use a hedonic-type revealed preference model and household survey data to estimate the factors affecting extra-legal land prices along an agricultural frontier in Petén, Guatemala. Our model indicates that land value is significantly affected by land attributes including location, tenure status, presence of water, distance to roads, and distance to landowners’ homes, and that land prices in the northwestern Petén are estimated to have risen on average 26.5% per year between 1977 and 2000. We contend that this rate of increase provides a strong incentive for colonists to speculate in land rather than invest in state sanctioned property rights. We conclude that if frontier development programs, such as land administration, are to become attractive to settlers in Petén and elsewhere, they must compete favorably with economic incentives associated with land speculation, or alternatively, target landowners who are not interested in playing the land market.     

农户视角下湖北省耕地集约利用影响因素分析

研究目的：基于农户视角分析耕地资源集约利用的影响因素及其作用机理,探讨促进耕地集约利用的途径与措施,为提高中国耕地资源配置和利用效率提供新的研究视角。研究方法：双对数函数模型分析法。研究结果：农民户均劳动力人数、农民人均纯收入和农业比较收入对耕地集约利用具有明显的正向驱动作用;农业生产资料价格指数对耕地集约利用具有较明显的负向影响;而耕地的产权保障和农业补贴政策对耕地集约利用的影响不显著。研究结论：耕地利用集约度实质上是农户不同耕种行为的表现结果,提高耕地利用集约度的关键是采取相应的政策措施激励农户的耕种行为;增加农户农业收入、控制农业生产资料价格,稳定或适度降低农业生产成本等是促进农户集约利用耕地资源的重要经济手段;深化农地产权制度改革和调整完善农业补贴政策是提高耕地利用集约度的重要制度基础。     

Land Tenure,Tenure Security and Farm Efficiency: Panel Evidence from the Philippines

This article tests the relationships among formalised property rights, land tenure contracts and productive efficiency in farming. Using four rounds of panel data from 230 rice farms in the Philippines, we measure the effects of land tenure arrangements on farm efficiency using a stochastic production frontier model. We test for the allocative efficiency of observed land rental markets. We also test how land tenure security affects farmers' investment decisions. Results suggest that, despite the presence of formalised titles, the rental market remains inefficient at allocating land. In contrast, the unformalised tenure contracts used by farmers appear to provide tenure security.     

论土地制度的公私矛盾

研究目的：梳理土地制度的公私关系,探讨土地制度运行的内在规律。研究方法：归纳与演绎、文献研究法、比较分析法。研究结果：土地制度是人类进入文明社会（出现国家及法律）以后的基础性制度,并交替存在着公有制、私有制等制度形态;无论是实践中还是在理论上,土地公有制与私有制选择始终是一对矛盾,但产权是否清晰与土地公有私有无关,财产权神圣不可侵犯应同等保护公私财产,平等保护财产权并非追求财产平等。研究结论：土地作为自然资源的本质属性决定了其产权制度的基本特征,土地所有制度属于政治范畴,土地产权制度与财富分配机制属于经济问题,土地制度规则应遵循公权与私权均衡,公利与私利分野。     

东北粮食主产区农村土地承包经营权规模化流转定价机制研究—— 以黑龙江省克山县为例

研究目的:通过建立农村土地承包经营权规模化流转定价机制,促进农村土地承包经营权流转市场完善,为合理确定农村土地承包经营权规模流转价格提供科学依据。研究方法:区间价格模型,Hurwicz准则,层次分析法,收益现值法。研究结果 :克山县农村土地承包经营权规模流转的价格区间为6380元/hm~2到9155元/hm~2;通过对比供需双方土地流转意愿的影响因素,计算得土地流转价格系数为0.498;在价格区间内引入Hurwicz准则,测算土地承包经营权规模流转价格是可行的。研究结论:以村集体经济组织为中介代理人、以维护流转双方利益为准则的土地承包经营权规模化流转定价机制不仅体现利润分享原则,也丰富了马克思地租地价理论的实践应用,符合赋予农民更多财产权利、拓宽农民财产性收入的政策改革方向。     

面向SDGs的土地可持续利用目标、挑战与应对策略

研究目的:基于联合国2030可持续发展目标(SDGs),分析土地可持续利用的目标以及中国所面临的形势与挑战,并提出应对策略,为可持续发展的实现提供路径支持。研究方法:文献研究法。研究结果:土地利用是人类、土地单元和土地利用方式三者相互影响与制约的过程,会深刻影响2030年可持续发展目标的实现;在17个SDGs中,有7个目标与土地利用相关,可归纳为高效和集约利用土地、保护和改善土地生态环境、被社会所接受三大目标,以及提高农用土地生产能力、促进工业土地集约与转型利用、建设安全和包容城镇、防治土地污染、恢复生态系统和防治土地退化、消除贫困和实现土地产权安全7项具体目标;面对SDGs的土地持续利用目标,中国在耕地保护、工业用地转型升级、土地污染治理、土地生态修复等方面还面临诸多挑战。研究结论:为推进面向SDGs的土地可持续利用,需要构建本土化监测指标体系,自然资源相关规划与政策的制定要反映土地可持续利用的目标,以土地制度改革助推土地可持续利用,重视土地科技创新,并加强利益相关群体的参与和合作。     

土地流转、要素配置与农业生产效率改进

研究目的:基于2005—2017年省际面板数据,分析土地流转对农业生产效率的影响,并从要素错配角度研究土地流转如何影响农业生产要素配置进而改善总体效率。研究方法:时变SFA模型、固定效应Tobit模型和中介效应模型。研究结果:(1)土地流转总体上显著提高了农业生产效率;(2)土地流转对农业生产效率的影响在不同地区、确权前后表现出异质性特征,其效果的发挥既依赖于土地流转市场的发育程度,也依赖于对土地权利的有效保护;(3)土地流转主要通过纠正劳动力错配来提高农业生产效率,而对土地错配状况的纠正作用有限。研究结论:加强土地流转市场建设不仅可以提高农业生产效率,而且能改善农业要素投入尤其是劳动力要素的错配状况并进而改善总体效率。     

Politics of rural land registration in post-socialist societies: Contested titling in villages of Northwest Vietnam

Land registration has been perceived as a precondition for secure property rights and agricultural development. Yet land registration has often failed to achieve its presumed benefits. This article explores the relationship between land registration, tenure security, and agricultural development in the context of post-socialist transformations. It focuses on one key difference between socialist property and the notions underlying post-socialist land laws: socialist property law accommodated the existence of multiple layers of social control over land whereas post-socialist land legislation promotes exclusive land rights. Post-socialist land rights are exclusive in the sense that the new laws do not recognize any intermediate layers of control between the landholder and the state. The paper draws on a case study of land registration in a commune in north-western Vietnam. The research included semi-structured interviews with 65 randomly selected households and informal conversations during extended stays in the commune as well as the collection of government statistics and interpretation of SPOT images. Its results demonstrate that villagers opposed land registration and refused to comply with its rules, although registration would have strengthened villagers’ legal rights to land. The villagers resisted land registration because the new land rights conflicted with their actual land relations, which included more layers of social control than land registration could accommodate. At the same time, although land registration failed to take effect in the villages, agricultural output expanded and the forest regenerated. The findings therefore suggest the need for adjusting land registration to accommodate intermediate layers of control over land where land claims are not as exclusive as assumed by the existing legislation.     

Land tenure insecurity in post-certification Amhara,Ethiopia

It is generally believed that tenure security has improved due to the programme of land certification. In this paper I argue the opposite. Tenure security concerns three different rights: possession, renting and latent rights. Rights of possession are believed to have improved, but the evidence is weak and conflicting. Land rentals are expanding and farmers face high tenure insecurity. The main problem, though, is latent rights, with great insecurity and increased conflict levels. Despite rapid economic development there is considerable social malaise, an unfortunate agricultural structure, and considerable pressure for land redistribution due to unresolved land tenure issues. The paper is based on the certification literature and primary material from North Shäwa.     

“三权分置”下农业经营的实践形态与农地制度创新

"三权分置"是农地制度改革的重要成果,为提升农业经营效益提供了制度保障。农业经营的实践形态显示,土地经营权的设立并未提升资本化耕种的农业经营收益,也难以提升村集体范围内农地产权正式转移的水平。农业经营体制在"统"的层面缺乏可操作性的产权制度方案,阻碍了农地产权设置在"分"的层面发挥出高效的制度效能。切实回应农地利用中实际耕者的地权诉求,解决农地细碎化、村集体内土地经营权流转价格过高、土地经营权配置不充分、土地经营权流转后的社会纠纷等问题,需要围绕农地高效利用,在"三权分置"下充分发挥集体土地所有权的管理权能,以集体土地所有权统合土地承包经营权和土地经营权。     

Sustainability and Land tenure: Who owns the floodplain in the Pantanal,Brazil?

In seeking to achieve poverty alleviation and environmental conservation, public policy has often centred on guaranteeing land titles to local peoples. However, such approaches have brought unintended outcomes, replacing small-scale economies and natural areas by intensive exploitation of resources with no clear improvement in local people’s wellbeing. To understand this, we go beyond a general political ecology framing to consider relations between sustainability and land tenure, focusing on the intersection of economics, ecology and anthropology to understand how land tenure, property and use play out on the ground. We draw together different concepts including bundle of rights, de facto and de jure resource use, property regimes, density-dependence and non-equilibrium theory. The significance of this three-discipline view is illustrated through a case study of the Pantanal wetland, Brazil, where conservationists, the government and the local population contest ownership of the Paraguay River floodplain. Government sought to address conflicts around tenure and access through a narrow view of property, which failed to encompass the overlapping layers of land tenure, property and use on the ground and only served to create further legal battles. This article concludes that a more complex view combining the three perspectives is needed in the case of the Pantanal, and in other cases of contested property rights, in order to resolve conflicting claims and foster sustainability. We dissect both the power plays involved between different groups competing for control of a valuable resource, and the legal frameworks which can and should provide checks and balances in the system. The more nuanced grasp that emerges of local systems of tenure and access, of how these diverge from western property concepts, and of their environmental implications favours a better understanding of local realities, allowing for better management policy and consequently contributing more effectively towards poverty alleviation and environmental protection.     

中国耕地产权与价值研究——兼论征地补偿

研究目的:规范并界定中国耕地的产权体系及各权利内涵,探讨各耕地权利的价值构成,分析征收耕地的补偿标准。研究方法:逻辑分析法,比较借鉴法,实证法。研究结果:耕地产权体系包含耕地的生产收益权、生存保障权、农地发展权、粮食安全权和生态安全权,各权利价值在不同的社会经济条件下有不同体现;征地补偿应逐步体现耕地各产权价值。