Land Investment Research Articles

Twisted industrial structure, land financing mode and social security

This paper explains the disparities in the level of social security across different regions in China from the perspective of industrial structure distortions and discusses the moderating effect of land financing models. The results show that industrial structure distortions have a significant negative impact on social security expenditures; the lower the intensity of land investment, and the higher the intensity of land finance and land-based finance, the stronger the negative impact of industrial structure distortions on social security expenditures. The research conclusion of this paper has the reference significance for the government's sound and sustainable multi-level social security system.

J. A. Ajao and the real estate enterprise in 20th century Lagos

Abstract Scholarly studies of business enterprises in colonial Lagos have neglected Chief Joseph Adediran Ajao, a foremost investor in the real estate enterprise. Though there are sketchy details about him in social circles and passing but constant references to him typified by «Ajao Estate» and «Papa Ajao» communities, there is yet to be any thorough scholarly study of his enterprise. Using family records, archival documents, court records, newspaper reports, interviews, published works, and site visit, this study examines the entrepreneurship of Chief Joseph Adediran Ajao. It sheds light on Chief Ajao’s entrepreneurial exploit first in the import and export trade from which he earned substantial wealth, and ultimately on his investment in land and real estate, where he left an extant impression as one of the largest land-owning individuals in Lagos. On the premise that African culture had a significant impact on African businesses, this study is situated within the context of Yoruba philosophy of business and enterprise. The study concludes that: one, Chief J. A. Ajao was a forerunner of the emergence of real estate enterprise in Lagos; two, Chief J. A. Ajao’s import-export business, J. A. Ajao and Brothers, though eclipsed by his real estate enterprise, was no less significant; and three, J. A. Ajao’s enterprise ensured that his name achieved an eponym status in Lagos.

Farm characteristics and exogenous factors influencing the choice to buy land in Italy

Access to land is one of the key factors of farm growth, while at the same time, related research is characterised by important gaps, in particular facing the change over time in the nature and role of drivers of the land market. The objective of this research is to identify the endogenous and exogenous factors that affect the decision to purchase land in Italy between 2013 and 2020. Five probit regression models were implemented to understand the role of a set of different determinants in land investment decisions. The results show that factors related to capital in machinery and equipment, energy production and the presence of a successor are endogenous factors that positively influence the purchase decision. The ratio of rented land to utilised agricultural area and of family work units to total work units are endogenic factors that negatively influence the purchase decision. Exogenous factors related to the cost of capital and inflation rate affect the purchase of land in an opposite way, negatively and positively respectively. The role of Utilised Agricultural Area and Gross Saleable Production per hectare varies depending on the specialisation considered. The research can support policymakers in designing policies to promote the survival and growth of farms, as well as to facilitate land investment by reducing barriers to land acquisition.

Justice concerns in large-scale renewable energy projects: a case study echoing the importance of procedural justice in wind energy development in Kenya

BackgroundLarge-scale renewable energy projects are increasingly being rolled out across rural Kenya, with the government playing a frontline role in attracting energy investors through various state-led and state-centric policies and investment incentives such as feed-in-tariffs and power purchase agreements. While these policies are commendable, and are indeed attracting many private investors, existing studies document how social and environmental justice concerns are often overlooked—sometimes causing local contestations against energy projects. However, to date, there has been less attention given to cases where procedural justice elements (e.g., access to information, access to meaningful participation, access to justice, and respect for local culture) led to a successful land negotiation for energy development without outright conflict. Using a case study in Kenya, this article aims to bridge this gap by showing how a fair application of various elements of procedural justice in land consultation has facilitated the establishment of the Kipeto wind farm. This qualitative research is based on semi-structured interviews that took place from February to March 2023, with a follow-up visit in December the same year, supplemented with review of secondary data sources.ResultsThe results indicate that for energy projects to be accommodated in and by communities, access to land must be properly negotiated, particularly with the actual landowners whose livelihoods are most likely to be implicated by the project. Second, local people’s perception of what they regard as a ‘just’ or ‘fair’ process of land consultation constitutes the basis for their acquiescence and compliance.ConclusionEnsuring a ‘just’ procedure in land consultation with the actual landowners is a key strategy to avoid conflicts. Land investors, governments, and policy-makers who interface and negotiate with communities must ensure the provision of procedural justice, particularly in contexts where local livelihood is tied to land and where land is individually owned. Although the findings suggest a positive case of wind energy development in Kenya, the project is barely 4 years old; things may change overtime if agreed conditions are not met as specified in the MoU. Therefore, additional follow-up research is needed to ascertain the extent to which both KEL and landowners live up to their promises.

Land investment regulation and allocative efficiency: evidence from the Chinese manufacturing sector

Abstract This article analyzes the role of production factor land in the production process. Using a novel dataset of 20,205 newly established firms in the Chinese manufacturing sector from 2007 to 2014, our production function estimates suggest the existence of a sizable gap (averaging 50 USD/m2) between the marginal productivity of land and its user cost. Basic economic theory suggests a possible relationship with China’s minimum investment intensity (MII) regulation. An analysis using changes in MII limits over time and the resulting discontinuities at county borders confirms that larger gaps are significantly associated with increases in MII limits. Thus, the results of this study suggest that MII regulation leads to allocative inefficiency of land.

Reducing the negative impact of wildfire disasters through multi-scenario risk analysis of land investment

Natural meteorological and climatological hazards and vulnerable vegetation are frequent triggers of natural disasters, such as wildfires. These cause loss of life and significant economic damage, likely to increase due to climate and socio-economic changes. The increase in wildfires in recent decades has affected the decision-making of technocrats and policy experts and created the need for more sophisticated risk management. This paper develops a theoretical framework for reducing the economic impact of wildfire risk on forests. Also provides insight into land use decisions regarding losses that this increased risk of forest land management can cause. The impact of wildfire risk on economic land value is evaluated by comparing three scenarios, i.e. the deterministic risk-adjusted land expectation value with its risk-free counterparts calculated assuming the stationary risk and predicted increasing risk as time goes by. Also, for this purpose, we evaluate the economically optimal length rotation period pine stands and the risk premium. Fire risk is described as the probability of pine stands destruction due to their age and meteorological conditions in the experimental area Záhorská lowland (western Slovakia). Our findings highlight the importance of alerting forest policymakers to carefully incorporate assessment of the increasing risk of random natural disasters due to climate change into sustainable forest management. The study's results will also help current or future forest owners estimate and evaluate the economic/investing risk when buying or selling forest land.

An Assessment of the Impact of Corporate-Driven Foreign Land Investments on Selected Human Rights in Mozambique

Abstract This article focuses on the impact of land investments in Mozambique. It examines the effects these land investments are having on local people’ access to food and sustenance, culture, land and water, and political engagement in some Mozambican provinces and areas. The next section critically evaluates whether human rights related to the aspects are being violated, as well as Mozambique’s legal obligations under both local and international law. The main goals are to alert the academic community to the negative impacts that land grab and investments have on local populations in Mozambique and to explain how these activities can be effectively stopped by using the normative framework now in place on human rights. It argues that foreign companies and investors in Mozambique are causing significant negative impacts on local communities, including livelihood, food, culture, land, and political participation. These issues are already protected by human rights law, and effective protection by the state could help combat land grabbing. Mozambique’s judiciary, civil society, and human rights institutions should work together to prevent local communities from being harmed.

Does improved tenure security reduce fires? Evidence from the Greece land registry

While tenure security is essential to effective land management, there is little empirical evidence on its environmental impact. Exploiting the staggered rollout of the land registry program across Greece, we find the regions covered by the mandatory program witness large declines in agricultural fire events, burned areas, and air pollutants. Agricultural data reveal that landowners in those regions mitigate fire risks through reducing stubble burning, expanding farming areas, and stocking more fire-suppression equipment. Our findings indicate that strengthening property rights can lead to more sustainable farming practices and promote long-term land investment, thereby reducing fire hazards.

Effects of Large-Scale Agricultural Land Investment on Local Communities Livelihoods: Evidence from Bambasi Woreda, Western Ethiopia

Most of the African countries including Ethiopia are often known by problem of large scale agricultural land investment effects on the local community where land is being transferred to investment. Even though several efforts made so far to solve the overall effects of large scale agricultural land investment situation, the challenge is still widespread problem in Ethiopia. Hence the study project's purpose was to find out how large agricultural investments in Bambasi Woreda, Western Ethiopia impact the livelihoods of the surrounding populations and examine the local communities' participation in the large scale agricultural investment. In order to attain these objectives, data were collected from 330 randomly selected households in four purposively selected kebeles of the district for both control groups and treatment groups. The sample size was chosen using a multistage stratified random sampling technique. Both qualitative and quantitative data gathering techniques and instruments were employed in the study. Besides, the instruments utilized to collect the data were observations, focus groups, interviews, household surveys, and document reviews. Data was analyzed using both descriptive statistics and econometric methods. The study shows that out of the total sampled respondents 30 of the treatment group and 13 percent of control group reveal that the project provided opportunity in terms of employment opportunity, technology transfer, utilization of agricultural inputs, changing the working culture of the community and productivity. The chie square value shows there is statistical significance among treated and control group on opportunity investment provided for the household and community. A binary logit regression model was used to describe how large-scale agriculture land investment affected the local community's standard of living. The findings indicated that only six variables were found to be significant out of the characteristics that were expected to influence local community employment in large-scale agricultural land investment projects. These includes household's educational accomplishment, size of HH, occupation of HH, Loss of useful land due to investment Project and technology transfer significantly and positively affected the employment opportunity in large scale agricultural investment projects, whereas the distance of a household's home from an investment project has a negative impact. Large-scale agricultural investments have a detrimental influence on household wealth accumulation and income, according to the estimation results of the average treatment effects on the treated. The management and implementation of land transfer for large-scale agricultural investment projects is inadequate, lack of openness, absence of community consultation, natural forest degradation, socio-economic and ecological effects must be carefully considered before transferring the land for large-scale agricultural investment.

Institutional credibility and land investment: Evidence from new‐round land certification program in China

AbstractThe article examines the impact of the credibility of land institutions on households' land investment in the context of the new‐round land certification program in China. Specifically, we first build a theoretical framework differentiating effects of households' perceived credibility regarding land use right, transfer right and mortgage right on investment. Then, a two‐step control function (2SCF) approach which controls for the endogeneity of households' perceived credibility is applied to the data collected from 487 households in Jiangsu province of China in 2017. Results show that households' perceived credibility of land transfer right has a significantly positive effect on both households' labor‐intensive and capital‐intensive investment. Credibility of land mortgage right has a significantly negative effect on households' capital‐intensive investment. However, credibility regarding land use right does not significantly affect households' land investment we focused on. Policies strengthening land transfer right credibility, improving land mortgage right and encouraging households to apply credits to farm activities, may play an important role in enhancing soil‐improving land investment.

Factors Affecting the Land Investment Decisions in the Old Members of the European Union: A Systematic Literature Review

In response to concerns over land concentration and access within the European Union, this study seeks to elucidate the factors influencing farmers’ decisions to invest in land and the consequent growth of farm size. Employing a systematic literature review utilizing the PRISMA method, we delve into theoretical and empirical studies to bridge the gap between agricultural management practices and land market dynamics. Our analysis reveals a complex interplay of endogenous and exogenous factors, including technological advancements, farm characteristics, demographic factors, macroeconomic conditions, and policy environment, significantly impacting investment behaviours and farm growth trajectories. The research highlights the underexplored impact of external factors like policy and land regulation, which are scarcely addressed in empirical studies despite their substantial influence on farm-size evolution and investment decisions. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need for future research to incorporate a more comprehensive framework that integrates internal farm dynamics with broader economic and policy contexts, thereby facilitating a deeper understanding of the agricultural sector’s resilience and sustainability. The findings underscore the critical role of adopting innovative methodologies and approaches to fully understand the dynamics of farm growth and land investments, aiming to support policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers in fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

Starch Granule Yields from Open-Air Metates Unaffected by Environmental Contamination

Abstract The morphological characteristics of starch granules preserved on ancient ground stone tools can reveal which plant species were processed and consumed and even infer tool function. Bedrock metates are commonly associated with the processing of localized seasonal resources, providing potential evidence for past human lifeways, including foods collected and processed, social gatherings, settlement patterns, land investment, and territorial behavior. In contrast to ground stone artifacts preserved in a buried context that have been studied extensively, limited starch research has been conducted on the potential for environmental contamination of open-air bedrock mortars and metates exposed to natural erosional elements. This project examines the residue samples of bedrock metates from three archaeological sites in southern Oregon in the United States to compare the starch yields of extraneous material cleaned from the grinding surface to those extracted from interstitial matrices deeper within the bedrock. Significantly greater number of starch granules were recovered from deep within the cracks and crevices than from the surface. Our study suggests that environmental contamination can be managed if separate surface and control samples are collected and analyzed in conjunction with the interstitial samples. Examining the potential for environmental contamination on exposed grinding surfaces is crucial for confidence in starch granule results and improving our understanding of human dietary behavior.

A Review of Rural Land Capitalization: Current Status and Further Research

Land stands as a crucial factor in the production process. The rational allocation of land resources and the enhancement of land use efficiency play pivotal roles in maintaining stable economic development. Various land use types facilitate the capitalization of land resources through activities such as land transfer, land investment, and large-scale land management. Presently, certain regions grapple with challenges characterized by abundant land resources, insufficient utilization of land elements, and a low degree of utilized land capitalization. To address these issues, scholars employ diverse research methods, delving into land capitalization from various perspectives. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current academic research on land capitalization. It elucidates the conceptual nuances inherent in the process of land capitalization, traces the historical evolution of land capitalization, and establishes a research framework that considers land appreciation, ownership relationships, and functional transformations. By synthesizing and analyzing the existing research on land capitalization, this paper outlines the current status and identifies future research directions. It is concluded that land appropriation, ownership relationships and functional transformations are the three most important elements in the process of land capitalization. The paper proposes objectives for achieving high-quality development while avoiding excessive capitalization and the aim is to propel land capitalization as a catalyst for rural economic development.

Groundwater potential zones identification using geoelectrical resistivity sounding and GIS in upper Metro sub-catchment, Malang, Indonesia

Recently, Upper Metro Sub-Catchment and its surroundings have witnessed intensive land investments. The lack of surface water and the human activities of this region increase the demand for groundwater. Several water boreholes were installed to meet the large water needs; however, these boreholes no longer cover the high demand for water due to the increase in population, increase in irrigated areas, and wear and tear on pumps. Therefore, in order to better define the catchment area and find new sites that meet the water quality and quantity requirements, a geoelectrical survey using the electrical resistivity method was carried out in the upper Metro sub-catchment potentials. Using the Schlumberger array, a total of 19 vertical electrical soundings were conducted along 2 profiles. The recorded data were interpreted quantitatively and qualitatively through the use of apparent resistivity maps, geoelectrical pseudo-section analysis, and the established geoelectric sections. In this study, we identified sandstone tuff as an aquifer layer at a depth of 20 – 100 meters. So it can be known that there are 3 zones of groundwater potential consisting of poor, medium, and high.

Unpacking the role of failed land investment projects in driving tropical deforestation

Unpacking the role of failed land investment projects in driving tropical deforestation

Can REDD Finance Compete with Established and Emerging Land Investments? The Case of Mai-Ndombe, Democratic Republic of Congo

Can REDD Finance Compete with Established and Emerging Land Investments? The Case of Mai-Ndombe, Democratic Republic of Congo

A Decision Support System Based on Machine Learning for Land Investment.

A Decision Support System Based on Machine Learning for Land Investment.

Does the rural housing land system reform model meeting the needs of farmers improve the welfare of farmers?

The rural land system reform (RLSR) is inseparable from the protection of farmers' rights and profits. The success or failure of the system reform determines the value embodiment of the farmers' subject position. Under the background of continuously promoting the RLSR in China, combining the farmers' demands and welfare change, this study reveals the practice and process of rural housing land system reform (RHLSR) and puts forward three theory hypotheses. Then, four kinds of RHLSR mode are designed based on the outer edge-kernel system theory and Maslow demand theory. Finally, using fuzzy mathematical evaluation and a structure equation model, this study depicts the implementation process and effect of 20 typical cases and puts forward corresponding policy enlightenment. Results show that (1) due to the influence of the system, the RHLSR mode is diversified; the RHLSR mode that conforms to farmers' needs is also conducive to improving farmers' welfare level. (2) The correlation between farmers' living status and welfare level is the highest in the RHLSR process, while the degree of social participation is the lowest. (3) The land investment mode (LIM) has the best effect on the improvement of farmers’ welfare (FW) level, followed by the monetary compensation mode (MCM), and the asset replacement mode (ARM). Meanwhile, the use of land to ensure the life of the aged mode (ULELAM) has the lowest effect. These findings indicate that the government should adhere to the concept of people first, combining the welfare needs of farmers step-by-step. Those needs should be prioritized and optimized appropriately, according to the time and household, so as to realize a better tilt of land policy dividend towards farmers.

The method for assessing the urban land investment attractiveness

The method for assessing the urban land investment attractiveness

In Search of A Just And Equitable Agricultural Land Dispute Settlement In Indonesia

Agricultural land dispute is commonly resolved by a non-judicial settlement. It however experienced silent conflict and a just and due process of law due to multiple interests involved. Responding to these salient disputes, in 2021 the International Institute for Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) established a legal guide to assist developing countries to draft a more sustainable and responsible agricultural land investment contract (ALIC). In Liew to the UN Guiding Principle on Business and Human Rights (2011), the state and enterprises shall exercise adequate oversight to protect the breach of human rights including the customary land rights. The research aims at assessing the agricultural land dispute settlement pursuant to ALIC. It was found that land dispute settlement was dependent upon the maintenance of social control consisting of a dynamic mixture of informal and formal systems. This type of social control enabled creating a balance between disputants, minimizing transactional costs and promoting effective law enforcement. The article elaborated land dispute settlement in two different cases in Indonesia and discusses non-litigation hybrid model of land dispute resolution to promote a better strategy for resolving a land dispute in Indonesia. At the same time, this model may serve as a potential method to provide a better strategy to promote private rulemaking to prevent further disputes as a transition to the application of ALIC.