Progress and Prospects of Non-Grain Production of Cultivated Land in China

Haizhen Su, Fenggui Liu (), Haifeng Zhang, Xiaofan Ma and Ailing Sun
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Haizhen Su: School of Geographic Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China
Fenggui Liu: School of Geographic Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China
Haifeng Zhang: School of Geographic Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China
Xiaofan Ma: School of Geographic Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China
Ailing Sun: School of Geographic Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: Cultivated land is essential for grain production. As a major agricultural country, China’s non-grain use of cultivated land not only affects national food security and sustainable agricultural development but also impacts the quality of cultivated land and farmers’ livelihoods. This study used bibliometrics to visualize and analyze 413 articles from the China Knowledge Network (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) databases concerning non-grain production of cultivated land (NGPCL). The results reveal the following: (1) The number of annual publications in this area has increased from 2009 to 2023 with the focus of NGPCL research shifting from describing the phenomenon to analyzing its driving mechanisms and then to exploring spatial patterns and governance. (2) The spatial distribution of research institutions is marked by the convergence of multiple entities with the central and eastern regions of China being pivotal research areas and transnational collaborative research becoming increasingly visible. (3) High-frequency keywords include NGPCL, food security, and farmland transfer, focusing on the historical context, effects, driving mechanisms and preventative strategies related to NGPCL. There is a notable evolutionary relationship between farmland transfer and NGPCL themes. (4) Future research should broaden the geographical scope and assess NGPCL trends from global, regional, and multiscale perspectives. Efforts should be made to enhance data accuracy and conduct spatial and temporal simulations, trend analyses, and risk assessments. Furthermore, policy design should consider the structure of human–land relationships to support sustainable agricultural development. This study provides an important reference for deepening and broadening the field of NGPCL.

Keywords: non-grain production of cultivated land; bibliometric method; CiteSpace software; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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