Unveiling the effect of land transfer and land acquisition on farmland abandonment: Proximity/distance to the city matters

Abstract

This study extends the generally accepted concept of “long-term non-cultivation” to consider farmland abandonment (FA) as a process of decreasing land use intensity. In addition, this study distinguishes between seasonal abandonment (SA) and complete abandonment (CA). In the context of the continuous devaluation of farmland and urban expansion, how will land transfer and government land acquisition affect FA in villages? Does the effect vary by village location? These interesting topics have not yet been discussed. Hence, we studied FA in 780 villages in Xintai City, an agricultural city in Shandong Province, China, and used the binary logistic regression model to answer the above questions. Results showed that SA is more prevalent than CA. Villages with large land transfer areas show a reduced likelihood of FA. Conversely, those with extensive government land acquisitions exhibit a high probability of FA. Both exhibit a stronger association with CA than SA. In remote villages, the negative correlation between land transfer and FA weakens, whereas the positive correlation with the land acquisition scale strengthens. Strategically regulating land transfers and land acquisition in adjacent and remote villages optimizes farmland utilization, reducing abandonment.