Farmland marginalization in the mountainous areas: Characteristics, influencing factors and policy implications

doi:10.1007/s11442-015-1197-4

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on SPOT-5 images, 1:1 million topographic maps, the maps of the returning farmland to forest project and the Chongqing forest project, social and economic statistics, etc., this paper identifies the features and factors influencing farmland marginalization. The results showed: (1) During 2002-2012, the rate of farmland marginalization was 16.18%, which was mainly found in the high areas of northern Qiyao mountains and the medium-altitude areas of southern Qiyao mountains. And this farmland marginalization will increase, associated with non-agriculturalization of rural labourers and aging of the remaining labourers. (2) Elevation, distance radius from villages and road connections had a great influence on farmland marginalization. Farmland marginalization rates showed an increasing trend with the increase of elevation, and 60.88% of the total farmland marginalization area is found at an altitude greater than 1000 m above sea level. The marginalization trend also increases with slope and distance from the distribution network. (3) Farmland area per labourer and the average age of farm labourers were major factors driving farmland marginalization. Farmland transfer and small agricultural machinery sets affect farmland marginalization with respect to management and productivity efficiency. (4) Farmland with “comparative- disadvantage-dominated marginalization” accounted for 55.32% of the total farmland marginalization area, followed by “location-dominated marginalization” (33.80%). (5) According to the specifics of each real situation, different policies are suggested to mitigate the marginalization. A “continuous marginalization” policy will encourage the return of farmland to forest in “terrain-dominated marginalization”. An “anti-marginalization” policy is suggested to create new rural accommodation and improve the rural road system to counteract “terrain-dominated marginalization”. And another “anti-marginalization” policy is planned to improve management and micro-mechanization for “comparative-disadvantage-dominated marginalization”. A new idea was developed to integrate high resolution remote sensing and statistical data with survey information to identify land marginalization and its driving forces in mountainous areas.

Key words: farmland marginalization, features, influencing factors, policy implications, mountainous area

Jing’an SHAO, Shichao ZHANG, Xiubin LI. Farmland marginalization in the mountainous areas: Characteristics, influencing factors and policy implications[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2015, 25(6): 701-722.

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Factors	Classification standard	Factors	Classification standard	Factors	Classification standard
Elevation (m)	<450	Terrain position index	<0.5	Relative distribution radius of block away from the villages (m)	≤150
	450-750		0.5-1		150-300
	750-1000		1-1.5		300-500
	1000-1500		1.5-2		500-800
	≥1500		≥2		>800
Slope (°)	<2	Correction coefficient of topographic position index	1	Degree of road connection	≤0.45
	2-6		1.05		0.45-0.5
	6-15		1.1		0.5-0.55
	15-25		1.15		0.55-0.6
	≥25		1.2		≥0.6

Factors	Indicators	Meanings	Relationship hypothesis
Terrain	Elevation X₁₁	The mean elevation where marginal farmland is located	+
Terrain	Slope X₁₂	The mean slope where marginal farmland is located	+
Location	Relative distribution radius of block away from the villages X₂₁	The mean actual distance of farmers’ blocks from their residence	+
Location	Road connection degree X₂₂	The mean degree of convenience for farmers accessing their farmland of each block	-

Factors	Indicators	Meanings	Relationship hypothesis
Farmland	Farmland area per labour X₁₁	Contracting farmland area divided by the sum of farm and concurrent labourers	+
Farmland	Rate of farmland transfer X₁₂	Farmland transfer area divided by the area of contracting farmland	-
Labour	Rate of off-farm labour X₂₁	Off-farm labourers divided by the sum of farm, concurrent and off-farm labourers	+
	Rate of concurrent labour X₂₂	Concurrent labourers divided by the sum of farm, concurrent and off-farm labourers	-
	Average age of farm labour X₂₃	Total age of farm labourers divided by the number of farm labourers	+
Policy	Rate of transferring from agricultural to non-agricultural population X₃₁	Transferring from agricultural to non-agricultural population divided by total population	+
Policy	Small agricultural machinery sets X₃₂	How many small agricultural machinery sets were bought by farmers	-
Market	Planting commercialization rate X₄₁	Income obtained by selling planting productions divided by planting output	-
Market	Pig-breeding commercialization rate X₄₂	Income obtained by selling pig productions divided by pig output	-
Income	Rate of planting income X₅₁	Planting income divided by family total income	-
	Rate of pig-breeding income X₅₂	Pig-breeding income divided by family total income	-
	Rate of off-farm income X₅₃	Off-farm income divided by family total income	+

Land types	Farmland in 2002	Actual farmland use in 2011	Contracting farmland in 2011	Farmland decrease during 2002-2011	Returning farmland to forest during 2002-2006	Chongqing forest project during 2008-2011	Farmland marginalization during 2002-2011
Land types	Farmland in 2002	Actual farmland use in 2011	Contracting farmland in 2011	Farmland decrease during 2002-2011	Returning farmland to forest during 2002-2006	Chongqing forest project during 2008-2011	Area	Rate of area to actual farmland use in 2011
Dryland	52800.44	31865.34	41587.56	20935.10	10618.37	594.51	9722.22	23.38
Paddy	30029.56	28090.74	29944.39	1938.82	-	85.17	1853.65	6.19
Total	82830.00	59956.08	71531.95	22873.92	10618.37	679.68	11575.87	16.18

Subregion	Land types	Actual farmland use in 2011	Contracting farmland in 2011	Returning farmland to forest during 2002-2006	Chongqing forest project during 2008-2011	Farmland marginalization during 2002-2011
Subregion	Land types	Actual farmland use in 2011	Contracting farmland in 2011	Returning farmland to forest during 2002-2006	Chongqing forest project during 2008-2011	Area	Rate of its area to contracting farmland in 2011
A*	Dry farmland	4497.87	5177.74	2406.82	127.14	679.87	13.13
	Paddy	3603.62	3801.06	-	30.07	197.44	5.19
	Subtotal	8101.49	8978.80	2406.82	157.21	877.31	9.77
B	Dry farmland	2130.72	2742.20	497.59	21.01	611.48	22.30
	Paddy	1222.45	1295.48	-	1.29	73.03	5.64
	Subtotal	3353.17	4037.68	497.59	22.30	684.51	16.95
C	Dry farmland	13020.34	15618.05	5083.39	106.03	2597.71	16.63
	Paddy	15753.56	16885.02	-	39.35	1131.46	6.70
	Subtotal	28773.90	32503.07	5083.39	145.38	3729.17	11.47
D	Dry farmland	2215.62	4894.33	159.86	8.33	2678.71	54.73
	Paddy	1560.44	1676.17	-	-	115.73	6.90
	Subtotal	3776.06	6570.50	159.86	8.33	2794.44	42.53
E	Dry farmland	10000.79	13155.24	2470.71	332.00	3154.45	23.98
	Paddy	5950.67	6286.66	-	14.46	335.99	5.34
	Subtotal	15951.46	19441.90	2470.71	346.46	3490.44	17.95