An agent-based model of agricultural land expansion in the mountain forest of Timor Island,Indonesia

The Mutis-Timau Forest Complex,located on Timor Island,Indonesia,is a mountainous tropical forest area that gradually decreases due to deforestation and forest degradation.Previous modelling studies based on patterns indicate that deforestation primarily occurs at lower elevations and near the boundaries of forests and settlements,often associated with shifting cultivation by local farmers.This study adopts a process-based modelling approach,specifically the agent-based model,to simulate land changes,particularly farmers'expansion of agricultural land around the Mutis mountain forest.The underlying concept of this agent-based approach is the interaction between the human and environmental systems.Farmers,representing the human system,interact with the land,which represents the environmental system,through land use decision-making mechanisms.The research was conducted in the Community Forest of the Timor Tengah Utara District,one of the sites within the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex with the highest deforestation rate.Land use change simulations were performed using agent-based modelling from 1999 to 2030,considering the socio-economic conditions of farmers,spatial preferences,land use decisions,and natural transitions.The results revealed that the agricultural area increased by 14%under the Business as Usual scenario and 5%under the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation scenario,compared to the initial agricultural area of 245 hectares.The probability of farmers deciding to extend agricultural activities was positively associated with the number of livestock maintained by farmers and the size of the village area.Conversely,the likelihood of farmers opting for agricultural extensification decreased with an increase in the area of private land and the farmer's age.These findings are crucial for the managers of the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex and other relevant stakeholders,as they aid in arranging actions to combat deforestation,designing proper forest-related policies,and providing support for initiatives such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation programs or further incentive schemes.

Farmers’ Knowledge and Awareness towards the Use of Agrochemicals in Vegetable Cultivation, Fako Cameroon

Agrochemicals are contemporary, omnipresent tool used in vegetable cultivation. Farmers’ knowledge and awareness of the proper usage of agrochemicals are critical for mitigating the negative effects on human health. This cross-sectional study was aimed at assessing the usage knowledge, risk awareness of toxicological and chemical classes, proper handling and use practices for agrochemicals homologated for use in vegetable farming, and the occurrence of health-related symptoms as a result of exposure among these farmers. The study included 93 vegetable growers from agricultural hotspot towns in Fako, southwest Cameroon. The field study, ran from November 2021 to December 2023, using a questionnaire to collect information on farmers demographic, and their knowledge of pesticide classes, and the related risk of associated with the handling of agrochemicals. Results show that all vegetable farmers, particularly those engaged in agribusiness, employ pesticide inputs to maximize production. Six pesticides, two fertilizer types, and one unknown substance were identified. While 23 active compounds were found, the most utilized were abamectin, emamectin (10.46%), dimethoate (9.30%,) and ethoprophos (8.13%). Two active chemicals, dimethoate and methalaxyl, are illegal yet remain in circulation. Toxicological classes I and II, with the greatest harmful effect on human health, were the most commonly utilized (64.27%). Thirty-nine percent of farmers never use personal protection equipment when working with agrochemicals, demonstrating a significant gap in knowledge and awareness of agrochemicals and their various applications and handling procedures in the field. The government should implement an intensive specialized educational program for on-field farmers with incentives in order to promote sustainable agriculture methods that ensure environmental and human safety.

Life satisfaction approach to farmers' compensation for land acquisition:empirical study from the suburbs of Wuhan City

Farmers' compensation for land acquisition is not only critical to increasing their income and to playing a pivotal role in maintaining rural stability,but also to the promotion of sustainable land use.Based on analysis of Chinese land acquisition policy under the Land Management Law,which provides principles or guidelines for determining compensation according to agricultural land use in regard to farmers' previous quality of life,the Life Satisfaction Approach is introduced in this article to evaluate farmers' compensation for land acquisition.Employing data from a questionnaire survey on 346 farming households in Wuhan Suburbs,this article examined the influence of farmland on farmers' life satisfaction and evaluated the level of compensation for land acquisition.Results show that farmland has a significantly positive impact on life satisfaction,which fell by 0.033 on a five-point scale following a reduction farmland by of 1 mu.Respondents were willing to accept approximately RMB 3066.44 annual household income for the loss of 1 mu farmland;the level of compensation after discounting by 6.2%is RMB 750,000 per hectare.It was found in a further comparative study that the level of farmers' compensation for land acquisition is decidedly low,and it was also shown that their compensation standards,as well as the actual compensation,could be substantially improved by expanding economic compensation to non-economic compensation to embody farmland multifunction in terms of production and non-production against farmers' previous quality of life.This article proposes a compensation model that enriches the content of land acquisition compensation,extends the current literature on measuring compensation,and provides economic theory bases for increasing compensation standards and improving policies related to land acquisition.We consider that if this compensation model is applied,it could raise the cost of land acquisition and improve usage of land,reduce the speed of rural-urban land conversion,and improve farmers' well-being.

A Review of the Causes of Land Use Conflicts between Farmers and Pastoralists in Tanzania and a Proposal for Resolutions

Land use conflicts are complex disputes that contribute at large in terms of negative social and economic impacts within the heterogeneous societies.The mechanisms of success for land use conflict resolution still need further research because of various mindsets of the people.In this paper,the issues of land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in Tanzania mainland which could lead to low economic development are reviewed and the general causes and effects of land use conflicts are outlined.Poor land governance,inappropriate of land use plans,inadequate land policies,land tenure insecurity,corruption and population increases are cited as being among of the main offenders fuelling land use conflicts in Tanzania.

Study on the Impact of Collective Commercial Construction Land Entering the Market on Rural Residents’Income:Taking Deqing County,Zhejiang Province as an Example

The entry of collective construction land for business purposes is an important measure for deepening the reform of the rural land system,promoting the flow of urban and rural factors,and realizing rural revitalization.Since the production of the first batch of pilot projects in 2015,33 county-level cities have participated in the pilot policy by 2023.Deqing County,Zhejiang Province,as the first area to participate in the pilot project,aims to achieve more fruitful results.This paper first examines how promoting farmers’income through the market entry of agricultural land can be achieved,then uses the synthetic control method to quantitatively study the impact of collective operational construction land on farmers’income using panel data from 2011 to 2019,and finally proposes relevant suggestions from the perspective of system reform.

The Plights and Solutions of the Farmers' Land Rights Protection

The current plights of farmers' land rights in China are analyzed.They cover the vain installation of the security of farmers' land rights,vain position of the dominant role played by rural collective land,incomplete functions of rural collective land and the inadequate material assistance of farmers.The solutions for ensuring the security of farmers' land rights are put forward,in the first place,perfecting the legislation of guaranteeing farmers' land rights.In the second place,scientifically installing the rural land rights,which covers the following aspects,such as,clearly defining that the collective ownership of rural land belongs to farmers in law;clearly defining the main body of rural land property and eliminating the shortage of property rights;demarcating the range of public interests and clearly stipulating the reasonable compensation of main body of land expropriation.In the third place,villagers' autonomy should be perfected.In the forth place,standardizing the system of land expropriation,which includes the two aspects of normalizing the land transference procedure and the control of collecting land tax,and establishing fair compensation standard and normalizing land compensation procedure.In the fifth place,strengthening land transference and judiciary,and enforcing supervision;in the sixth place,accelerating the development of peasants' cooperative economic organizations and cultivating peasants' rights keeping organization.Through the discussion on the plights and solutions of farmers' land rights protection,the coordination of rural and urban development will be realized and a harmonious society will be built.

Reform of Agricultural Land Transfer of Different Types of Farmers' Willingness

Since forty years of reform and opening up,China's rural landscape has undergone tremendous changes,and agricultural production manner is obviously improved,while farmers' living level is rose significantly.Rural land contracting and management right system plays a vital role in promoting rural economic and social development in China.In this paper,farmers under the background of the transfer of rural land contracting and management right are taken as research objects,and the difference of different types of farmers under the willingness of land transfer is analyzed.Finally,corresponding reform assumptions are proposed for transfer willingness of different types of farmers.

Inquiry into Problems of Farmers' Employment under the Condition of Land Transfer

This paper emphasizes the urgency of solving the problems of farmers' employment under the condition of land transfer,indicating that solving the problems of farmers' employment is the necessary requirement of land transfer,the actual requirement of constructing well-off society comprehensively,and the objective requirement of transforming developmental model.The characteristics of the problems of farmers' employment under the condition of land transfer are as follows:the rural surplus labor forces increase,and the ubiquitous unemployment is urgent;the employment room of farmers is narrow,and the structural unemployment is serious;the ability of farmers' employment is poor,and recessive unemployment has a large proportion;the situation of farmers' employment is not so sanguine,and the policy unemployment is frequent.This paper points out the causes of farmers' employment problems under the situation of land transfer as follows:in terms of analysis of subjective factors,farmers' self-employment ability is yet to be underpinned;in terms of analysis of objective factors,the relevant mechanism of government is unsound.Finally,corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward as follows:establish the mechanism of farmer traceability analysis under the condition of land transfer;strengthen the training of farmers' skills;reinforce the publicity and education of farmers' employment concept;promote the process of urbanization and construct the employment vehicle of farmers;adjust the industrial structure in rural areas and expand the internal employment in rural areas;improve macro regulation and improve the employment environment for farmers.

The Group Differentiation of Farmers Whose Land is Expropriated and Community Integration

This paper introduces the status of group differentiation of farmers whose land is expropriated and analyses the forcing of urban community factor and social workers' intervention on community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated.Since individual characteristics factors,external factors,social support and internal factors are different,the understandings of current farmer group whose land is expropriated on social work have great disparity.The obstacles existing in urbanization of farmers whose land is expropriated are concluded as follows.In terms of group constitution,there is a shortage of development-oriented of farmer groups whose land is expropriated,but impoverished groups overabound;in terms of cities,it lacks direct platforms and institutions that provide services for farmers whose land is expropriated.In terms of social work,the degree of social workers intervening in community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated is insufficient.From three aspects:the intervention of social work in integration of different types of communities of farmers whose land is expropriated,social work intervention at level of social policy,and social worker team carrying out the plan of helping others,this paper proposes path selection of intervention of social work in community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated.

Conversion Margins for the Major Uses of Agricultural Land and Their Variations in Shandong Province, China

It is of practical significance for the decision-making on country food security and farmland protection to analyze the conversion margins for the major uses of agricultural land and their variations. Based on the panel data of wheat, corn, vegetable, fruit, and forests productions from 520 investigated farmer households of 13 investigated villages in Shandong Province from 2003 to 2009, and using Cobb-Douglas production function, the revenue conversion margins can be obtained separately, between different grain-crops （wheat, corn） and different non-grain crops （vegetable, fruit, forests）, and the conversion relationship between growing grain（ wheat, corn） and going out for non-farm work. The results show that from 2003 to 2009, growing wheat and corn are more economically and reasonably for farmers, compared with growing vegetable, but growing wheat and corn are becoming less economically and less reasonably day by day, compared with planting forests. Moreover, the conversion margin between wheat and fruit shows obvious scissors difference. Just from 2007, farm- ers＇ growing fruit became economically and reasonably, but until 2009, compared with going out to work after abandoning farm- land, growing wheat had no economic rationality. From 2003 to 2009, farmers＇ growing corn is more profitable than growing fruit and going out for non-farm work after abandoning farmland. The subsidies for wheat and corn have increased farmers＇ comparative income from food production remarkably, but the subsidies cannot change the general tendency that farmers transform food （wheat, corn） production into non-food （especially forests） production. The revenue difference between growing wheat, corn and vegetable and growing fruit and forests is being pulled ceaselessly bigger, and the tendency that farmers transform wheat, corn and vegetable growing lands into fruit and forests growing lands has become increasingly apparent.

Land-losing Farmers' Citizenization in the Process of Urbanization

Starting from the status of citizenization of land-losing farmers,problems in the citizenization are analyzed,such as the difficulty in land-losing farmers' economic life after turning into citizens,employment difficulties of land-losing farmers after living in the city,and the prominent problems in social security of land-losing farmers.Causations for the citizenization problems of land-losing farmers are analyzed.Firstly,institutionalized rejection is the root of the obstacle in citizenization of land-losing farmers.Secondly,exclusion from social security system is a fundamental reason.Thirdly,exclusion of land-losing farmers from both urban citizens and themselves is the subjective factor.Fourthly,exclusion of land-losing farmers from urban employment is the objective factor.Based on these,countermeasures are put forward:formulating a reasonable price of land transfer;establishing a reasonable land compensation and benefit-sharing mechanism;setting up a multi-level social security system for land-losing farmers;increasing the human capital investment in land-losing farmers to enhance their employment status;and improving the cultural quality of land-losing farmers to realize the change in lifestyle.

Research on the Urban Integration of Land-losing Farmers

Fishbone chart is used to analyze the status of the living ability of land-losing farmers, as well as its causation from the aspects of system layer, social support network, land-losing farmer themselves, and economic layer. Result shows that the system layer includes the unreasonable land compensation, the lack of social security for land-losing farmers, and the employment exclusion of land-losing farmers. Small scale and low heterogeneity are the causations for social support network. Low willingness to become citizens, low cultural quality and difficulty in role change are the causations of land-losing farmers themselves. The low expected return and high living cost are the causations for economic layer. Based on the above analysis, countermeasures to improve the urban-living ability of land-losing farmers are put forward, such as improving the land expropriation system, establishing a multi-level social security system, enhancing the training and employment mechanism of land-losing farmers, and improving the quality of land-losing farmers.

Welfare effects of rural-urban land conversion on different aged land-lost farmers:exemplified in Wuhan city

Rural-urban land conversion is a universal phenomenon in the rapid process of economic development and urban growth.The welfare of farmers who lost their farmland attracted a widespread concern within the society and academia.However,further research about differentiated policies according to the characteristics of different farmer groups is still need to be conducted.This article divides the land-lost farmers into three age groups:younger than 45,45-65,and more than 65.It proposes a welfare index system including eight functional areas based on different age groups of affected farmers,taking four districts of Wuhan City as case study area.Fuzzy mathematics method is used to derive the aggregated welfare effect index.Our analysis show that the overall welfare levels of land-lost farmers of all age groups declined,but with a varying degree,with the level of welfare in those farmers who are 45-65 years old,younger than 45 years old,and older than 65 years old decreased by 18.7%,16.6%,and 12.7%,respectively.The direction and degree of effects on the functional activity index varies among different groups.Economic conditions,living environment,health,and social participation of all age groups decrease while social security and housing conditions increase.On the other hand,development opportunities,social communication,and leisure have different changing directions in different age stages.These results call for differentiated and tailor-made compensation policies for land-lost farmers,towards improving the welfare levels of all farmers and reduce the disparity among them.

The Effect of Land Degradation on Farm Size Dynamics and Crop-Livestock Farming System in Ethiopia: A Review

Ethiopia is among the poorest countries in which poverty, land and resource degradation appear to feed off each other. The irony is that Ethiopia is a country with high biodiversity and distinctive ecosystems and the natural resource base is critical to the economy and the livelihood of a high percentage of the population. Being the owner of varying agro ecology, the country’s agricultural production system had practiced for decades with a maximum potential. However, because of the presence of interrelated problems, the productivity had not sustained as its potential. From the interrelated problems, land degradation takes the first and challengeable problem in many countries. Land degradation refers to a temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land, or its potential for environmental management as a result;the long-term biological and environmental potential of the land has been compromised. Land degradation in the Ethiopian highlands (i.e. areas above 1500 m.a.s.l.) has been a concern for many years and is a great threat for the future that requires great effort and resources to ameliorate. It had adverse effect on lowering of livestock production by shrinking grazing land, the fertile soil types were washed and the grazing land was dominantly covered by unpalatable pastures and grasses which had low nutritive value and fertility for crop-livestock production system. In other cases, degradation induces farmers to convert land to lower-value uses;for instance, cropland converted to grazing land, or grazing lands converted to shrubs or forests. Equitable and secure access to land is a critical factor for the rural poor, especially livestock owners, who depend on agriculture and animal-related activities for their livelihood. Having secure access to land for agriculture and pastoral activities reduces their vulnerability and enhances their opportunities to invest in land for agriculture and livestock activities. Historical patterns of feudal ownership of land followed by government ownership and despite policy change uncertain status of land ownership. These land distribution and ownership patterns coupled with continuous fragmentations and degradation disrupt the balance between crop, livestock, and forest production. These things nowadays enforce Ethiopian farmers to put more land into crop production than working on livestock sector. Livelihoods are complex, dependent on animal and crop production based on land and water resources, with emerging market opportunities. And from year to year, the size of farms is getting minimized because of land degradation and segmentations, and these make a change in farm size dynamics and farming shift. Currently, there is a great scenario towards the land policy pattern and agricultural production system, which is the backbone of the country’s economy. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to review the effect of land degradation on farm size dynamics and crop-livestock production since the impact of these things is not well measured.

Problems and Solutions of Protecting Rights and Interests of Land-expropriated farmers during Urbanization--A Case Study of Henan Province

This paper discusses existing problems in protecting rights and interests of land-expropriated farmers' during urbanization,such as those farmers' failure to obtain benefits from land increment,difficult employment and imperfect social security system.Reasons for losses of farmers' rights and interests mainly include defects in land management and expropriation system,and uncoordinated development of urbanization and industrialization.However,the basic reason is urban and rural dual economic structure.On the basis of these situations,it puts forward solutions to protecting rights and interests of land-expropriated farmers:let land-expropriated farmers share land-increment benefits from land marketization;establish effective employment security system and perfect social security system,to make land-expropriated farmers share supply of public goods equal between rural and urban areas,and realize the inclusive growth balancing urban and rural areas.

The Relationship between Landless Farmers and Land Adjustment,Land Transfer,Land Inheritance

Based on the household survey of nine villages in Guangdong Province and Hunan Province,we research the relationship between landless farmers and land adjustment,land transfer in the context of rural land contract rights on a long term basis.We demonstrate that the existence of landless farmers does not pose a serious problem for the current rural community.We also explain the reason why the land is no longer readjusted:the expected return of land adjustment is low and the organizational costs are high.

Study on Deepening Rural Land Reform and Farmers’ Income

The rural land system reform is an essential part of China s rural economic system reform.In recent years,China s rural land system becomes gradually diversified,and is developing towards market and benefiting people,which is favorable for improving the rural economy.Through more than 40 years of reform and opening up,China s rural land system reform has been continuously deepened and sectionalized,which has also affected the income of farmers.Rural land reform provides great opportunities for farmers to increase their income and contribute to the realization of land asset income and interests.However,the rural land system reform also has some drawbacks,which limit the increase of farmers income.This paper attempts to analyze the internal logic of land system reform and farmers land interests,and accordingly comes up with recommendations for deepening the rural land reform.

Land system reform should protect farmers' interests

|Editorial Note|Land has become an issue of increasing social concern as demand continues to surge in the midst of economic development,urbanization and industrialization.The crux of the issue is the land regime. China has a unique dualistic land regime under which the land market has not been well developed.Based on a review and commentary of the existing land polices,this article elaborates on the deficiencies inherent in China’s dualistic land rights system and land market and offers policy recommendations for promoting land system reform and market development.This study will help us gain an in-depth understanding of the problems in China’s land regime.

Land Circulation and Increase of Farmers' Income: A Case Study of Dazhou City

With adjustment of rural industrial structure,development of rural secondary and tertiary industries,and transfer of rural labor,rural land circulation is accelerating. However,due to ideas,household contract responsibility system,and lack of well-established market mechanism and effective management organizations,land circulation in Dazhou is still very slow and its contribution to increase of farmers' income is to be improved. Through survey on increase of farmers' income after land circulation in Dazhou,it analyzed plight of land circulation,in the hope of seeking feasible paths for increasing farmers' income.

Empirical Study on the Will of Farmland Transfer among Different Farmer Groups——A Sampling Survey on 42 Counties and Cities,64 Towns and 74 Villages in Jiangxi Province

Taking Jiangxi Province as an example,on the basis of the sampling survey on 42 counties and cities,64 towns and 74 villages in Jiangxi Province,the will of farmland transfer among different farmer groups with different income levels,different ages,and different educational backgrounds,is analyzed.The research indicates that as for middle-income or high-income groups,leaving home to seek jobs elsewhere is the most principal factor impacting farmland transfer,while as for low-income group,the price of agricultural products is an important factor impacting farmers’ land cultivation;permanent urban residence certificate is no longer the principal factor causing farmers’ land transfer,and it tends to be rational for farmers to abandon farmland.