Abstract
Rapid urban land expansion and the resulting arable land loss have put food security in China at risk. This paper investigates the characteristics and mechanism of arable land conversion in Beijing using a logistic model based on land-use data for 2001 and 2010. The results suggest that (1) arable land conversion tends to occur near built-up areas, city centers and major roads; (2) arable land that lies closer to irrigation canals and country roads is less likely to be converted to urban use; (3) arable land that is bigger in size and has a more regular shape has a lower probability of conversion to urban use; and (4) the Prime Farmland Protection policy and related land-use plan have played a positive role in preserving arable land, demonstrated by the probability for arable land conversion inside a prime farmland boundary is 63.9 percent less than for land outside the boundary. Based on these findings and on sustainable-development principles, we suggest that, rather than an exclusive focus on controlling the quantity of arable land, the location and characteristics of the arable land should be a primary consideration when designing urban policies and plans.
Highlights
With rapid economic development and population growth, urbanization is taking place at an unprecedented pace around the world [1]
Rapid urbanization and the consequent arable land loss have created a dilemma for many countries, especially those less developed countries with large population
Understanding of the causes of arable land conversion is critical to improving government policies on arable land protection and making better plans to accommodate development
Summary
With rapid economic development and population growth, urbanization is taking place at an unprecedented pace around the world [1]. As a result of rapid urbanization, many countries are experiencing a drastic loss of arable land [2]. Industrialization and urbanization in these countries have left a lasting imprint on rural land use and profoundly altered the sustainability of arable land [3]. It is, critical to understand the characteristics and mechanisms of arable land conversion. As a developing country, is experiencing drastic urban land expansion and the consequent loss of arable land. Given that China’s per capita arable land was more than 40% below the world average in 2006, but that the country has one-fifth of the world’s population [5], food security and arable land preservation are a vital concern of the Chinese government [6,7]. Based on China’s land administration law, the Prime Farmland Protection Regulation was passed in 1994 and revised in
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