The Current Scenario of Farmland Abandonment in China: A Systematic Review

Qiaowen Lin, Peter Sammonds, Mengxin Xu, Zhe Zhu () and Yu Cao
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Qiaowen Lin: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Peter Sammonds: Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Mengxin Xu: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Zhe Zhu: School of Management, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
Yu Cao: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: The significant expansion of farmland abandonment not only poses a threat to agricultural sustainability, but also challenges biodiversity conservation and food security. This study aims to initiate a deep systematic analysis of the current scenario of Chinese farmland abandonment, which is timely and urgent as a starting point to fully understand the current state of knowledge of it. In total, 181 articles out of 5384 articles through four databases (CNKI, Web of Science core collection, Scopus, and CAB Abstracts) are extracted and synthesized by the PRISMA method. A total of 12 experts from 11 countries with specialized knowledge in the research field are interviewed. It is found that farmland abandonment in East China is the most frequently reported, which is followed by the Southwest. The research focus in China has shifted from mountainous areas to agricultural and pastoral areas and major grain-producing areas. Chinese farmland abandonment is defined principally from the perspective of the managerial approach. An inventory that categorizes these different drivers of farmland abandonment is built, which includes socio-economic aspects, biophysical attributes, policy, household characteristics, and specific events. Socio-economic aspects, especially off-farm employment, are the most commonly studied factors. Meanwhile, the aging of the population is also noteworthy. Different trajectories should be applied accordingly due to the significant differences between North and South China. Furthermore, there is an optimistic attitude towards the ecological impact of abandoned farmland in China. However, more evidence should be given on it. Those findings will hopefully provide some insights for the scientific community and policy makers.

Keywords: farmland abandonment; systematic review; PRISMA method; expert interview; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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