Land Allocation Research Articles

Smallholder Farmers’ Perception of Land Conflict: A Case Study of Mara Chiefdom, Bombali District, Sierra Leone

This research aimed to assess the perceptions of smallholder farmers in Mara chiefdom, Bombali District, regarding land conflicts. It focused on investigating types, causes, impacts, and strategies for mitigating these conflicts. Quantitative and qualitative study was used, with 80 household head farmers from four communities and four (4) focus group Discussions. Data was collected through primary methods, including questionnaires and focus group discussions. Results from the research revealed that the prevailing types of land conflicts are family, individual, and land use conflict. Factors responsible for these conflicts are the weak nature of national and local policies, the increase in population, and gender biases in terms of allocation of land and settling of land disputes. Conflicts impact humans, the environment, and society, and dialogue has effectively addressed these conflicts. The study suggests the government should collaborate with landowners, raise land policy awareness, engage farmers, cattle rearers, Sun Bird Bio Energy Company, formerly Addax, and establish a local control mechanism. It also recommends community consent for land custodians to avoid misuse. Future research should involve a large-scale study for more reliable findings.

Conflicts, crop choice, and agricultural investments: Empirical evidence from Nigeria

Conflict remains a major driver of poverty in Africa. Conflicts and political instability in the region have been increasing recently and are drawing more attention in public discourse. While it is widely acknowledged that conflicts disrupt agricultural production and food systems, the full extent of the damage inflicted on the lives and livelihoods of farming households and the mechanisms to redress this harm remain poorly understood. In particular, the link between violent conflicts and households’ land allocation and related agricultural investment decisions remains understudied. In this study, we use geocoded longitudinal data along with detailed agricultural panel household surveys in Nigeria to assess the impact of violent conflicts on crop choice decisions and related agricultural investments. Specifically, we explore how farmers’ land allocation and agricultural investment decisions relate or respond to the outbreak and intensity of violent conflicts. We find that violent conflicts are associated with a reduction in the share of both land area cultivated and area harvested. We also find suggestive evidence that violent conflicts may shape farmers’ crop choices and related investments, as violent conflicts are associated with reduction in the share of land allocated to long-term crops (e.g., perennial crops, trees, roots and tubers). Overall, our findings suggest that violent conflicts can negatively influence farmers’ agricultural investments directly by affecting both land utilization patterns and portfolio allocation across activities with varying returns to investments.

Social and Ecological Contributions of the Taungya Agroforestry System in the Restoration of Mount Elgon National Park, Uganda

Balancing conservation objectives with the livelihood needs of local communities remains a significant challenge in the management of protected areas. The Taungya agroforestry system, introduced in Mount Elgon National Park, Uganda, in 2009, aims to address this issue by integrating forest restoration with agricultural production for food security. This study assesses the social and ecological contributions of the Taungya system in Kapkwata sub-county, Kapchorwa district, focusing on its impact on forest cover restoration, food security, income generation, and the provision of ecosystem services. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 240 participants selected through random sampling, supplemented by key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, and qualitative insights were analyzed through thematic analysis. The results indicate that the Taungya system significantly improved vegetation cover, with the majority of participants reporting an increase in forest cover from 0-25% to 51-75%. The program also contributed to household food security and income generation, with participants cultivating crops like Irish potatoes, maize, and onions for both consumption and sale. Non-crop benefits, including access to firewood and clean water, further enhanced household resilience. However, challenges such as small land allocations, crop pests, and wildlife conflicts were identified as barriers to maximizing the program's impact. To optimize outcomes, the study recommends increased land allocations per household and the introduction of integrated pest management strategies. The findings underscore the potential of agroforestry systems like Taungya to achieve sustainable conservation and community development in protected areas

LAND GOVERNANCE; FACTS AND EFFECTS. CASE OF THE CITY OF TAHER (WILAYA OF JIJEL IN EASTERN ALGERIA)

All religious laws and man-made laws call for the preservation and sustainability of natural resources, including land as an irreplaceable element.Compliance of land use with the guidelines of development and town planning instruments is a basic principle in land use. This rule of good governance leads to the protection of the environment, natural resources and the preservation of the natural, cultural and socio-economic heritage marking a given territory. Aware of this reality, the Algerian state anticipated this problem early on through the promulgation of laws and regulations governing territorial management, the occupation of urban land and the protection of the environment within the framework of sustainable development.However, the divide between land allocations and its use on the scale of certain urban areas on the eastern outskirts of the city of Jijel gives food for thought on the reliability and feasibility of urban planning instruments in the control of land management. . This deficiency is manifested by the disorderly extension of the built environment, the consumption of natural, forest and agricultural space. This trend, accompanied by the increase in population, generates increasing needs for equipment and amenities and difficulties in the management of all types of waste produced.Taking the case of the city of Taher as a study framework, the decadence of heritage wealth (social way of life, agricultural activities, low population and construction density, hygiene and environmental balance) can increase on board be noticed in view of the areas withdrawn annually from natural landscapes and agriculture. In order to control urbanization and meet the needs for individual housing, the municipality of Taher has planned several subdivisions in accordance with the town planning plan. Despite the fact that the majority of designated land bases are of a public legal nature, these operations for individual residential use have been abandoned under the effect of constraints and disputes. As a result, the land areas in question are invaded by constructions which do not necessarily meet town planning standards and land use rules.

Visualising trade-related virtual urban land transfers in China

ABSTRACT As a type of environmental footprint, the concept of virtual land captures the indirect land use embedded in our consumption and trade activities. Utilising the environmentally-extended multi-regional input–output model (EEMRIO) and Kaleidoscope diagram, we visualise for the first time the interprovincial flow of virtual urban land in China. It unveils the intricate urban network connections and the telecoupled interactions between human activities and land use amidst China's rapid urbanisation phase. The results indicate that the eastern region of China emerges as the primary net beneficiary of virtual urban land, whereas the western region stands as the principal net contributor. The local urban land in 65% of the provinces suffices for their own consumption demands. However, provinces like Zhejiang, Henan, and Jiangsu rely heavily on inter-provincial urban land to fulfil their consumption requirements. Inter-regional trade plays a pivotal role in facilitating the flow of land resources, significantly easing the strain between human demands and land availability in the developed coastal provinces of eastern China. Yet, it imposes additional ecological pressure on the more ecologically vulnerable areas in the west. The insights from this research are poised to offer valuable guidance for the Chinese government in harmonising urban development strategies, industrial distribution and the allocation of construction land on a national scale.

Gender analysis of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) yield gap: the case of Ada’a, Ethiopia

One of the primary development challenges hindering poverty reduction in Africa is the existence of a yield gap between female and male farmers. However, previous studies conducted in Ethiopia have largely overlooked the role of gender-related factors in influencing this gap. This article aims to address this gap by examining the chickpea yield disparity between female and male farmers and identifying its determinants. Data were gathered from 325 respondents (163 male and 162 female farmers) in 2019, combining survey responses with qualitative insights from discussions in two women farmers' groups, two men farmers' groups, and four key informant interviews. T-tests and linear regression models were applied to quantify the extent of the yield gap and analyze the factors contributing to it. Additionally, thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted to complement the quantitative findings. The study revealed that female farmers produced 29% less chickpea yield in the 2019 production year compared to their male counterparts, and this difference was statistically significant. Factors such as land allocation for chickpea cultivation, soil fertility, labor availability, chickpea variety (improved or local), access to extension services, and participation in farmers' cooperatives were identified as significant contributors to the yield gap. Beyond these technical aspects, gender-related challenges like unequal treatment, restricted mobility, labor demands, and religious/cultural taboos were also factors impeding the productivity of women farmers. Addressing the yield gap necessitates an inclusive approach in all agricultural development endeavors, recognizing and rectifying gender-based disparities to enhance the productivity and livelihoods of female farmers.

Commuting Pattern Recognition of Industrial Parks Using Mobile Phone Signaling Data: A Case Study of Nanjing, China

As a novel industrial space to cope with global competition, industrial parks have gradually become important growth poles to promote regional development and provide a large number of employment opportunities. This study utilizes mobile phone signaling data to identify the commuting origins and destinations (OD) of different industrial parks in Nanjing while comparing the distribution of the working population, residential population, and commuting patterns across varying types and levels of industrial parks. The level of coordination of the employment–residential system in each park is quantified by calculating the resident commuting index (HSCi), employee commuting index (WSCi), and their coupling coordination degree. Additionally, geographic detectors are employed to identify the influencing factors and interaction effects that impact the employment–residential balance in industrial parks. Results show that industrial parks located in the central urban area attract more residential and working populations. The commuting volume of national and municipal as well as high-tech industrial parks is higher than other types of industrial parks. Most industrial parks experience more inward than outward commuting, and there is an uneven distribution of commuting flows, resulting in a network-like pattern of “central dense, peripheral sparse”. Various industrial parks exhibit a highly coupled job–housing system, and those with high HSCi tend to have high WSCi as well. The coupling coordination of industrial parks ranged from 0.16 to 0.93, with 13 being primary coordination or above and 3 being disordered. Industrial parks are classified into three types: employment-oriented, residential-oriented, and employment–residential balanced, with the residential-oriented type being predominant. The density of public transportation stops, park area, and land use mix are the primary factors affecting the employment–residential balance. Industrial parks with larger scale, better land allocation, and higher service facility levels are more likely to achieve coordination in the employment–residential system. Our work utilizes mobile signaling data to characterize the commuting patterns of industrial parks, providing insights for industrial park planning and promoting the integration of industry and city.

The Dark Side of Infrastructure: Roads, Repression, and Land in Authoritarian Paraguay

Abstract Transportation infrastructure is associated with economic development, but it can also be used for social control and to benefit the governing elite. We explore the connection between the construction of road networks, state-led repression, and illegal land allocations in the longest dictatorship in South America: Alfredo Stroessner’s military regime in Paraguay. Using novel panel data from the truth and reconciliation commission, we show that proximity to newly constructed roads facilitated state-led repression, illegal allocation of agricultural plots to dictatorship allies, and hindered sustainable economic development in the following decades.

Выдел как способ образования земельного участка на землях сельскохозяйственного назначения

Agricultural lands are the main potential for modern agricultural production. A participant in shared ownership has the right to dispose of his land share at his discretion after allocating a land plot to the account of the land share. The article discusses the issues of organization and technology of cadastral works on the allocation of land from agricultural land.

Balancing Environmental Sustainability and Economic Viability in Luxembourgish Farms: An Agent-Based Model with Multi-Objective Optimization

To curb the impacts arising from the agricultural sector, the actions undertaken by policymakers, and ultimately by the farmers, are of paramount importance. However, finding the best strategy to reduce impacts, and especially assessing the effects of the interactions and mutual influence among farmers, is very difficult. To this aim, this paper shows an application of an agent-based model (ABM) coupled with life cycle assessment (LCA), which also includes multi-objective optimization of farming activities (including both crop cultivation and livestock breeding) from an economic and environmental perspective. The environmental impacts are assessed using the impact assessment scores calculated with the Environmental Footprint 3.0 life cycle impact assessment method and the study is conducted “from cradle to farm gate”. The model is applied to all the farms in Luxembourg, whose network is built utilizing neighborhood interactions, through which a parameter known as farmer’s green consciousness is updated at each time step. The optimization module is instantiated at the end of each time step, and decision variables (the number of livestock units and land allocation) are assigned based on profitability and specified environmental impact categories. If only profit optimization is considered (i.e., when farmers’ green consciousness is de-activated), the results show a 9% reduction in the aggregated environmental impacts (obtained as the Environmental Footprint single score) and a 5.5% increase in overall profitability. At the farm level, simulations display a clear trade-off between environmental sustainability and financial stability, with a 25% reduction in overall emissions possible if farming activities are carried out using the single score impact in the objective function, though this results in an 8% reduction in profitability over 10 years.

ENGINEERING-GEODESIC EQUIPMENT OF THE TERRITORY USED BY USING GEOINFORMATION SYSTEMS

The purpose of the scientific article is the implementation of an important part of the agricultural spatial data infrastructure, planning of the domestic economy using geographic information systems (GIS). Taking this direction into account, the work examines the following main elements of designing the domestic economy: location of settlements and economic centers; design of internal roads; placement of external engineering networks; use of types of land reclamation for agricultural purposes; allocation of land for the construction of roads of various categories of local importance; placement of agricultural machinery in land use; conduct a technical and economic analysis of the effective use of road junctions and reclamation works as an engineering structure, as well as systematize the engineering and geodetic process necessary to implement these studies based on GIS technologies. With the help of geographic information systems technologies, it will be necessary to determine the following directions of engineering and geodetic equipment of the territory: Information about road transport and roads, Roads in plan, longitudinal and horizontal profiles, Driving through bodies of water and bodies of water on the road, Road surfaces, Road surveys and design of agricultural roads, The basic principle of organizing the construction, maintenance and repair of agricultural roads.

Optimizing Irrigation Systems for Water Efficiency and Groundwater Sustainability in the Coastal Nile Delta

This study investigates the replacement of traditional surface irrigation methods with modern irrigation systems (MIS) including horizontal sprinkler, central pivot, surface drip, and subsurface drip aimed at improving water efficiency in the Nile Delta, Egypt. The primary objectives were to determine the optimal agricultural area for implementing MIS and to assess the effects of these systems on groundwater quantity and quality in the region. To achieve this, the LINDO software was employed to optimize land allocation for each irrigation method. At the same time, the SEAWAT code was utilized to simulate saltwater intrusion (SWI) in the Nile Delta aquifer. The transition from traditional surface irrigation to MIS resulted in significant water savings, reaching 2.15 × 10^9 m³. However, groundwater modeling indicated a decrease in groundwater levels, leading to an 8 % increase in aquifer salinity due to reduced infiltration of recharge water. These findings underscore the urgent need to revise outdated irrigation practices and enhance water management strategies in the Nile Delta to mitigate salinity issues in coastal aquifers. This research's outcomes are crucial for decision-makers and stakeholders in selecting appropriate irrigation methods, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, to ensure sustainable water use and agricultural productivity.

Evaluating the Sustainability of Incentive-based Conservation: A Case Study of the Taungya System in the Mount Elgon Conservation Area, Uganda

This study evaluates the sustainability of the Taungya system, an incentive-based conservation approach implemented in the Mount Elgon Conservation Area, Uganda. The system integrates reforestation with agricultural practices, aiming to balance biodiversity conservation and local community livelihoods. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data from structured surveys of 240 program participants were analyzed using SPSS, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative insights from key informant interviews. The findings show a 68% increase in vegetation cover, demonstrating the system’s positive environmental impact. However, socio-economic benefits were uneven, with 86% of participants both consuming and selling crops, yet 93% reported that the benefits were insufficient to sustain them year-round. Key challenges included insecure land tenure, limited land size, and restrictions on agricultural practices like pruning and spraying. Despite these obstacles, the Taungya system fostered reforestation and community livelihoods, though unresolved land disputes and wildlife interactions contributed to negative perceptions of conservation efforts. These findings highlight important considerations for improving incentive-based conservation models, including the need for policy reforms that secure land tenure, expand land allocations, and support sustainable agricultural practices. The broader implications suggest that similar models in tropical regions can benefit from incorporating local needs into conservation goals to ensure long-term success.

Assessing sustainability in smallholder vegetable farms in Benin Republic: A matrix approach

This study aims to assess the level of sustainability in vegetable-based agrifood production systems in Benin and to propose actions to enhance sustainability, food safety, and year-round production in the vegetable production systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 200 vegetable farmers in contrasting agroecological areas (with areas of extensive production of staples and intensive production of vegetables), using the “Indicateur de Durabilité des Exploitations Agricoles” (IDEA) framework (an on-farm sustainability index). Most of the surveyed vegetable farmers produced a wide range of crops, including leafy vegetables (amaranth, African eggplant, and African basil) and peppers, grown by more than 50% of the farmers. The average scores achieved by the vegetable farms regarding three dimensions of sustainability—ecological, social, and economic—were 35, 41, and 63, respectively, out of a maximum score of 100. All three sustainability dimensions of the vegetable farms were, on average, at a low level and improvements were needed for them to reach an acceptable standard. The vegetable farms located in the south of Benin had, on average, a higher sustainability score than those in the north: around 50% of vegetable farms in the south had a medium score, while the sustainability level of almost 75% of vegetable farms in the north was low. Interventions seeking to improve the sustainability of vegetable farms in Benin should focus on the promotion and adoption of eco-responsible practices that improve on-farm biodiversity, water conservation, and the effective allocation and management of land and labor, to mitigate the environmental impacts of vegetable production.

Neutrosophic goal programming technique with bio inspired algorithms for crop land allocation problem

In agriculture, crop planning and land distribution have been important research subjects. The distribution of land involves several multi-functional tasks, such as maximizing output and profit and minimizing costs. These functions are influenced by a variety of uncertain elements, including yield, crop price, and indeterminate factors like seed growth and suitable fertilizer. In order to address this problem, other researchers have used fuzzy and intuitionistic fuzzy optimization approaches, which did not include the indeterminacy membership functions. However, the neutrosophic optimization technique addresses the problem by using individual truth, falsity, and indeterminacy membership functions. So, to improve the optimal solution, the Neutrosophic Goal Programming (NGP) problem with hexagonal intuitionistic parameters is employed in this study. The membership functions for truth, indeterminacy, and falsity are constructed using hyperbolic, exponential, and linear membership functions. Minimizing the under deviations of truth, over deviations of indeterminacy, and falsity yields the NGP achievement function, which is used to attain optimal expenditure, production, and profit under the constraints of labour, land, food requirements, and water. Bio-inspired computing has been a major research topic in recent years. Optimization is mostly accomplished through the use of bio-inspired algorithms, which draw inspiration from natural behaviour. Bio-inspired algorithms are highly efficient in exploring large solution spaces, and helps to manage trade-offs between various goals, and providing the global optimal solution. Consequently, bio-inspired algorithms such as Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), Social Group Optimization (SGO), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are employed in the current work to determine the global optimal solutions for the NGP achievement function. The data for the study was collected from the medium-sized farmers in Ariyalur District, Tamil Nadu, India. To illustrate the uniqueness and application of the developed method, the optimal solutions of the suggested method are compared with Zimmermann, Angelov, and Torabi techniques. The proposed technique demonstrates that the bioinspired algorithms’ optimal solution to the neutrosophic goal is superior to the existing approaches.

Communal grant and land allocation effect on native land disputation in Malaysia

Land management and community engagement are two key components in preventing conflict among native landowners and organizations. Disputes between owners and agencies will be the most difficult impediment to overcome in the land ongoing development. Led to extensive opposition among native customary peoples to native customary land alienation, the government has worked to provide a fair manner of individual ownership for native customary peoples. This point shows how land ownership issues may pose a danger to the nation if they are not addressed in appropriate forms and ways to the native customary community. This paper examines the influence of Communal Grants and land allocation in the Sabah Land Ordinance on native land disputes among Malaysian native landowners. Native landowners from Sabah constituted the population of this study. Samples were chosen using a simple random sampling technique. The gathered 100 complete responses were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that the Communal Grants and land allocation in the Sabah Land Ordinance have significant positive influences on native customary land disputes. This study contributed significantly to the customary land alienation of native peoples as a minority group and indigenous world population.

Does the spatial distribution of afforestation by government and farmers in Beijing follow a random pattern?

The forestland expansion is the joint efforts by various behavioral actors, and among them governments and farmers play a more important role in it. However, their afforestation behaviors haven't be together investigated. Examining Beijing metropolitan area, this research distinguishes between government-led (GA) and farmer-led (FA) afforestation on arable land, and analyzes their spatial characteristics and the influencing factors using Ordinary Least Squares and Geographically Weighted Regression models. Our findings show: (1) Spatial distributions of GA and FA are non-random and systematically organized. GA dominates both in the areas close to the central city and at the outermost edge of the metropolitan area. FA leads in intermediate zones between GA dominant areas. (2) Both GA and FA are rational strategies for land allocation. GA in areas close to the central city is regarded as a trade-off between public benefits of afforestation and potential loss of fiscal revenue, while GA at the metropolitan area's outermost edge prioritizes ecological gains and lower land costs. FA, however, is driven by maximizing household welfare amidst the challenges brought by rural exodus and a rapid aging society. The findings deepen the existing investigations and provide a guidance for spatially organizing GA and synthetically regulating FA.

The Activity of Special Commissions on the Allotment of Land to the Mohammedan Peoples in the Stavropol Province in the XIX century: Problems and Climatic Factors

The Activity of Special Commissions on the Allotment of Land to the Mohammedan Peoples in the Stavropol Province in the XIX century: Problems and Climatic Factors

The implications of gender inequality and land allocation South African rural areas: a theoretical perspective

The implications of gender inequality and land allocation South African rural areas: a theoretical perspective

The High Cost of Raising Provincial Tax Revenues Has Gotten Even Higher

Households and firms’ responses to higher tax rates alter the volume and the allocation of land, labour and capital in the economy, reducing our income and consumption opportunities. These economic losses from raising tax revenues have increased for provincial governments across Canada in the last decade with the problem being especially acute in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and British Columbia. However, by lowering personal and corporate income tax rates and shifting more of the tax burden to a sales tax harmonized with the federal GST, the provinces could lower the economic cost of raising tax revenues. Taxpayers’ responses to higher tax rates adversely affect the economy. When rates go up, people are less inclined to save for the future because they must pay higher taxes on interest and dividends, and workers react by avoiding overtime and retiring early. When returns on investment generate higher taxes for corporations, they respond by cutting back their capital expenditures. Also, when people and companies can avoid paying a tax by shifting income or consumption to another jurisdiction with lower tax rates, the tax base will shrink as the tax rate goes up, reducing both income and consumption opportunities — an effect known as the deadweight loss from taxation. The larger the tax base, measured as a share of tax revenues, the greater the deadweight loss from a tax-induced decline in the tax base. All of these reactions to higher tax rates change the volume and allocation of land, capital and labour in the economy. The societal cost from raising extra revenue through a small tax rate increase is called the marginal cost of public funds (MCPF). It can be used to determine which taxes are causing the greatest welfare losses and to measure the gains from shifting the tax burden from the high-cost sources of tax revenues to those that impose a lower deadweight loss. Public projects should use the MCPF in doing a cost-benefit analysis, comparing the project’s benefits with the welfare loss from financing the project through higher taxes. The more reactivehousehold and business decisions are to tax rates, the greater the MCPF. When sales taxes are applied to a wide range of goods and services, people are limited by how much they can change their spending patterns to avoid paying those taxes. Thus, revenue is generated with lower detrimental economic effects than those created by increased personal and corporate income tax rates. Provinces could reduce the problems created by the public’s incentive to avoid paying taxes by both lowering their personal and corporate income tax rates and moving the tax burden over to a general sales tax.