How close are they? Using proximity theory to understand the relationship between landlords and tenants of agricultural land

Abstract

An increasing amount of research identifies the relationship between landlords and tenants of agricultural land as an essential aspect in land management, conservation, and farm decision making. Relevant aspects of the relationship include landowners' physical distance to the land, their agricultural knowledge, contractual provisions, and kinship or friendship ties between owners and tenants. This contribution proposes the use of Proximity Theory as a comprehensive theoretical lens for the study of landowner-tenant relationships. The theory distinguishes the five dimensions of geographical, cognitive, institutional, organizational, and social proximity between actors. I argue that this can unify the existing literature on lease relationships and provide new insights and research avenues based on the theoretical propositions made by proximity scholars. By discussing the existing literature in light of Proximity Theory, I also identify some of the theory's limitations. A tentative empirical application in the analysis of qualitative interviews with Austrian non-operating landowners underlines Proximity Theory's suitability for the topic.