Driving Mechanisms of Cropland Abandonment from the Perspectives of Household and Topography in the Poyang Lake Region, China

Guohua Ding, Mingjun Ding, Kun Xie and Jingru Li
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Guohua Ding: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Mingjun Ding: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Kun Xie: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Jingru Li: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 6, 1-22

Abstract: Cropland abandonment is driven by various mechanisms and is best viewed from multiple perspectives to suggest targeted policy changes which may change the status quo of abandonment. Here, we systematically analyze the characteristics of abandonment and its driving mechanisms by different farming households (pure, part-time, and non-farm) in three topographic regions of the Poyang Lake region using a binary logistic regression model. Results show that: (1) The overall abandonment probability in the Poyang Lake region is largest for non-farm households, followed by part-time households and pure households. In the mountainous region, abandonment is largest for non-farm households, followed by pure households and part-time households. Both the hilly and plain regions show the largest abandonment probability for pure households, followed by part-time households, and non-farm households. (2) The low agricultural economic benefits and the uneconomical investments of time in plots are the main abandonment determinants for pure households. Economic efficiency, both the time invested in plots and economic efficiency, are key abandonment determinants for pure households in the mountainous and plain regions, respectively. (3) Labor shortage and plots which are time-consuming and unfavorable to cultivation are the main abandonment determinants for part-time households, with different factors in different topographic regions. (4) For non-farm households, many factors can influence the occurrence of abandonment. Non-farm households in the mountainous and hilly regions are more influenced by non-farm work and the number of farming workers, respectively; in addition, the inconvenience of using agricultural machinery has a significant influence.

Keywords: cropland abandonment; driving mechanisms; farming household diversity; topography; Poyang Lake region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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