Proactive Land Research Articles

The Extent and Patterns of Digitalization in Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) Farms in South Africa

This study sought to develop an index for agricultural digitalization by applying composite confirmatory analysis (CCA). Another aim was to determine the factors that affect the development of digitalization in PLAS farms. Data on the indicators of the three dimensions of digitalization were collected from 300 Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) farms in South Africa using semi-structured questionnaires. Confirmatory composite analysis (CCA) was employed to reduce the items into three digitalization dimensions and ultimately to a digitalization index. Standardized digitalization index scores were extracted and fitted to a linear regression model to determine the factors affecting digitalization. The results revealed that the model shows practical validity and can be used to measure digitalization as measures of fit (geodesic distance, standardized root mean square residual, and squared Euclidean distance) were all below their respective 95%quantiles of bootstrap discrepancies (HI95 values). Therefore, digitalization is an emergent variable that can be measured using CCA. The average level of digitalization in PLAS farms was 0.02 and varied significantly across provinces. Although farmers have attempted to digitalise their farms, there are still minimal levels of digitalization in PLAS farms. The results further reveal different digitalization patterns. As judged by the estimated weights of various dimensions of digitalization, the use of digital technologies to collect, store, analyse, and disseminate (CSAD) farm-related data contributed more towards the digitalization index. The second most important component of digitalization was automation digitalization. In contrast, value chain digitalization was the least significant contributor. The factors that significantly influence digitalization were age, gender, farm type, network type, and cellular data type. Since PLAS farmers have not embraced much digitalization, it is important to focus on awareness and capacity building. A balanced approach to digitalization would benefit PLAS farms by ensuring that strategies to integrate digital solutions within the value chain are developed. To foster and support the digitalization in PLAS farms, policymakers and stakeholders should tailor their strategies to fit specific socioeconomic factors.

Assessing the Impacts of Mulching-Induced Warming Effects on Machine-Picked Cotton Zones

The 20th century saw notable fluctuations in global temperatures, which significantly impacted agricultural climate zones across the Earth. Focusing on Xinjiang, China, a leading region in machine-picked cotton production, we identified several key thermal indicators influencing the yield, including the sum of active temperatures ≥ 10 °C, the mean temperature in July, the climatological growing season length, the April–May sum of active temperatures, the last frost day, and the defoliant spray time. Using meteorological data from 58 weather stations in Xinjiang, we examined the spatiotemporal trends of these indicators during the 1981–2020 period. Additionally, we attempted to determine the effects of plastic mulching on the sowing area and the zoning area of machine-picked cotton in different suitable zones based on these indicators. In conclusion, the overall thermal resources in Xinjiang are exhibiting an upward trend and show a distribution pattern of “more in the south of Xinjiang than in the north of Xinjiang, and more in the plains and basins than in the mountains”. Under the plastic-mulching mechanism, the zoning area of the suitable zone has increased by 15.7% (2.15 × 103 km2), suggesting that climate warming and the widespread application of mulching technology provide unexplored potential for the most suitable regions for machine-picked cotton in Xinjiang, while the 14.5% (0.26 × 103 km2) and 7.8% (0.17 × 103 km2) reductions in the unsuitable and less suitable zones, respectively, suggest that the planting areas of machine-picked cotton in both the less suitable and unsuitable zones, particularly with the existing regional planning, continue to demonstrate an irrational expansion. Therefore, to sustain Xinjiang’s cotton industry’s resilience and productivity, policymakers need to prioritize proactive land management and sustainable land allocation practices in response to changing climate patterns to optimize cotton production.

Value Chain Digitalisation and Adoption Intention by Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) Farmers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Digital technologies disrupt agricultural value chains, thereby facilitating enhanced connectivity among various players. This contributes to the development of resilience and sustainability within farms. This study examined behavioural factors that influence farmers’ intentions to adopt value chain digital technologies available in South Africa. A simple random sample of 100 Eastern Cape PLAS farms was chosen. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analysed in R and STATA statistical packages using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicated a significant relationship between performance and effort expectancy and the intention to adopt value technologies. Furthermore, male farmers had a higher expectation of performance and effort. Prioritising performance demonstrations and trainings on the utilisation of these technologies is crucial in efforts to enhance their adoption. This contributes to the existing body of literature on the deployment of value chain technologies.

DETERMINANTS OF FARMERS’ WILLINGNESS-TO-ACCEPT SEED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND THEIR POTENTIAL CAPACITY FOR RICE SEED PRODUCTION IN FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, NIGERIA

The study examined the determinants of farmers’ willingness-to-accept rice seed production technology and their potential capacity for seed production in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria using primary data collected from 220 rice farming households. Heckman two-stage selection model analysis revealed that willingness-to-accept rice production technology and the potential capacity to produce rice seeds were influenced by certain factors, the results showed that age of the household heads (z = -1.80), dependency ratio (z = -1.77), farming experience (z = 2.68) at 1%, rice farming experience (z = -3.02), income (z = 5.62), land ownership (z = 3.66), family labour (z = 2.28), hired labour (z = -3.11), training in rice farming/production (z = 2.71) and training in rice seed production (z = -2.76) were statistically significant and influenced rice production potential capacity among the rice farming households at in the study area. The study then recommends that proactive land tenure policies and training in agronomic practices are needed to enhance rice seed production capacity of the rice farming households in the Federal Capacity Territory, Nigeria.

A multi-level assessment of changes in stakeholder constellations, interest and influence on ecosystem services under different landscape scenarios in southwestern Ethiopia

Growing global interconnections facilitate inter-regional flows of ecosystem services (ES). Several studies have focused on the opportunities, risks, and governance of telecoupled ES. However, considerable theoretical, methodological, and empirical gaps exist regarding how future demand for ES will shape trajectories of land use change, the bundles of ecosystem services and related livelihoods provided by future landscapes. This paper explores how multi-level stakeholder constellations, interests, and influence on ES change with a shift in the landscape from the current landscape to alternative future scenario landscapes. We integrated three methodological concepts: space-for-time substitution, scenario planning, and multi-level stakeholder interest and influence mapping. We focused on a smallholder farming landscape in southwestern Ethiopia that is characterized by, and sensitive to, rapid social-ecological change. We build on previous research that developed four plausible scenarios of landscape change for the landscape over the coming 20 years: the “Cash crops”, “Coffee investors”, “Biosphere reserve”, and “Food first” scenarios. We treated the current (focal) landscape as the baseline. Based on space-for-time substitution, we selected four existing landscapes nearby as proxies representing the types of changes described in the four scenarios. In both focal and scenario landscapes, we then identified stakeholders and interviewed them about their interest and influence related to ES (n = 122). Stakeholder constellations, interests, and influences on ES differed considerably between the focal and the scenario landscapes. Generally, a shift to the “Cash crops”, “Coffee investors”, and “Food first” scenarios increased the proportion of local, regional and global private organizations that engaged with the landscape. Many of these stakeholders sought to maximize profit through commercializing a few provisioning ES, often relying on regulatory and economic power to influence the landscape. In contrast, a change to the “Biosphere reserve” scenario increased the proportion of non-governmental organizations engaging with the landscape, and drew on stakeholders from multiple governance scales that were interested in diverse provisioning, cultural, regulating, and supporting ES. Our findings suggest that future landscapes imply divergent changes in stakeholder constellations and interests, both from proximate and remote locations. Landscape management should consider such possible changes in multi-level stakeholder constellations, interests, and influence. Our methodological approach enriches existing scenario narratives with empirically grounded social and governance layers that can improve proactive land management decisions.

Land use management recommendations for reducing the risk of downstream flooding based on a land use change analysis and the concept of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction

Sustainable management of ecosystems can provide various socio-ecological benefits, including disaster risk reduction. Through their regulating services and by providing natural protection, ecosystems can reduce physical exposure to common natural hazards. Ecosystems can also minimize disaster risk by reducing social and economic vulnerability and enhancing livelihood resilience. To showcase the importance and usefulness of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR), this study (1) analyzed the land use change in a watershed in central Japan, (2) applied the concept of Eco-DRR, and made land use management recommendations regarding the watershed scale for reducing the risk of downstream flooding. The recommendations that emerged from the application, based on the land use change analysis, are: the use of hard infrastructure and vegetation to store and retain/detain stormwater and promote evapotranspiration is recommended for downstream, urban areas; the sustainable management of upland forest ecosystems and secondary forest-paddy land-human systems, and proactive land use planning in the lowland delta, where built land is concentrated, are key to the watershed-scale landscape planning and management to reduce downstream flooding risks.

Assessing the spatial impact of urbanization on surface water bodies using remote sensing and GIS

Indian cities are expanding exponentially due to rapid and unplanned urbanization. The unprecedented pace of expansion is a major challenge for surface water management. The shrinkage of surface water bodies is considered as an important criterion by urban planners and policymakers. This research utilizes remote sensing data to address this problem for the suburbs of Chennai. The extent of urbanization is studied through remote sensing data obtained from satellite imagery at 30 m resolution for the year 2019 and land use land cover classification is also carried out to determine the urban built up. The initial surface area of the water bodies were determined using the topographical maps and was then compared with the present areal extent. The result reveals that the urbanization had a significant impact on the spatial extent of surface water bodies. The water bodies have significantly undergone reduction and disappearance due to urban expansion. Proactive land use planning and monitoring are essential to safeguard the ecological value of water bodies.

Agriculture in land reform farms: Impact on livelihoods of beneficiaries in the Waterberg district, South Africa

Countries have pursued land reform (LR) to contribute towards equity, poverty alleviation and job creation. Land confiscation and market-assisted approaches are used the most in expediting LR. The approach adopted in each of the countries will depend on the prevailing circumstances and priorities of those advocating for LR. South Africa implemented LR for the past two decades aimed to provide meaningful contribution to the livelihood of beneficiaries, among others. However, economic quantification of livelihood gains attained by households (hhs) from LR farms is unknown. The present paper aimed to quantify the economic contributions to livelihoods of various activities at LR farms, and to analyse factors underlying these contributions. We surveyed 87 hhs who were active in 43 LR farms in the Waterberg District, Limpopo Province. Five LR farm types were distinguished: Restitution (Rest), settlement/land acquisition grant (SLAG), land redistribution for agricultural development phases 1 and 2 (LRAD1 and LRAD2) and proactive land acquisition strategy (PLAS) farms. We used a stepwise approach for data collection, which included focus group discussions, household (hh) surveys and livelihood pie charts. On-farm contributions were higher (±49.5%) in LRAD1, LRAD2 and PLAS, compared to on-farm contributions of hhs in Rest and SLAG (±15.5%), because most of the hh heads (±68.3%) were younger (≤59 years), and hhs were physical capital endowed and farmed in physical capital endowed farms. Livestock farming was a key land use activity because of the prevailing agroecological conditions. The LR policy should prioritise provision of farm physical capital and livestock production to improve on-farm livelihood contributions in physical capital poor farms.

Change in Inflow and Hydrologic Response Due to Proactive Agriculture Land Use Policy in Northeast of Thailand

Changes in patterns of agricultural land use related to government policies implementation have been expected to affect the inflow and hydrological factors different from the originals. The main objective of this study has been to predict the inflow and the hydrological variables towards both Upper Phong Basin and Lower Phong Basin in the northeast of Thailand, during the period from 2005-2017. Further, the projection on changes in the proactive land use area, based on the Agri-Map model and the hydrological Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model have been manipulated and determined. According to the results, Agri-Map revealed that the Upper Phong Basin and Lower Phong Basin have been suitable for planting sugarcane and cassava, and SWAT analysis has suggested significant effect to the inflow compared with the observed data. For instance, the inflow has been found under average after sugarcane and cassava have been planted. In addition, the water volumes gathered from hydrological factors have shown exhibited significant variations with changing land use patterns. It is concluded that the present method will be useful for designing future water management plans for multi-purpose reservoirs.

‘Organic’ approaches to planning as densification strategy? The challenge of legal contextualisation in Buiksloterham, Amsterdam

Urban development in the Netherlands has been dominated by a master-planning approach in combination with a proactive land policy, but has recently witnessed the emergence of a new type of flexible...

Driving Factors of Land Change in China’s Loess Plateau: Quantification Using Geographically Weighted Regression and Management Implications

Land change is a key topic in research on global environmental change, and the restoration of degraded land is the core component of the global Land Degradation Neutrality target under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this study, remote-sensing-derived land-use data were used to characterize the land-change processes in China’s Loess Plateau, which is experiencing large-scale ecological restoration. Geographically Weighted Regression was applied to capture the spatiotemporal variations in land change and driving-force relationships. First, we explored land-use change in the Loess Plateau for the period 1990–2015. Grassland, cropland and forestland were dominant land cover in the region, with a total percentage area of 88%. The region experienced dramatic land-use transitions during the study period: degraded grassland and wetland, expansion of cropland and built-up land and weak restoration of forestland during 1990–2000; and increases in grassland, built-up land, forestland and wetland, concurrent with shrinking cropland during 2000–2015. A Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analysis revealed altitude to be the common dominant factor associated with the four major land-use types (forestland, grassland, cropland and built-up land). Altitude and slope were found to be positively associated with forestland, while being negatively associated with cropland in the high, steep central region. For both forestland and grassland, temperature and precipitation behaved in a similar manner, with a positive hotspot in the northwest. Altitude, slope and distance to road were all negatively associated with built-up land across the region. The GWR captured the spatial non-stationarity on different socioeconomic driving forces. Spatial heterogeneity and temporal variation of the impact of socioeconomic drivers indicate that the ecological restoration projects positively affected the region’s greening trend with hotspots in the center and west, and also improved farmer well-being. Notably, urban population showed undesired effects, expressed in accelerating grassland degradation in central and western regions for 1990–2000, hindering forestland and grassland restoration in the south during 2000–2015, and highlighting the long-term sustainability of the vegetation restoration progress. Such local results have the potential to provide a methodological contribution (e.g., nesting local-level approaches, i.e., GWR, within land system research) and spatially explicit evidence for context-related and proactive land management (e.g., balancing urbanization and ecological restoration processes and advancing agricultural development and rural welfare improvement).

The Monetary Measurement of Flood Damage and the Valuation of the Proactive Policies in Sicily

Although floods, as well as other natural disasters, can be considered as relevant causes of intra-generational inequalities, frequent catastrophes and the resulting damage to the territory can be seen as a consequence of a generalized indifference about future. Land protection is one of the societal issues typically concerning inter-generational solidarity, involving the administrative system in the implementation of proactive policies. In the last three decades, the widespread demand for subsidiarity has made local communities more and more independent, so that attention to the long-term effects—typically concerning the territorial system as a whole at geographical scale—has been dispersed, and the proactive policies that come from the central government have become more ineffective. Regarding the case of the 2009 flood in the Fiumedinisi-Capo Peloro river basin in North Eastern Sicily, we propose an economic valuation of the land protection policy. This valuation, compared to the cost of recovery of the damaged areas, can provide helpful information on the decision-making process concerning the trade-off between reactive and proactive land policy. The economic value of land protection was calculated by means of the method of the imputed preferences, to obtain a real measure of the social territorial value from the point of view of the harmony between social system and environment. This method consists of an estimate based on the attribution of the expenditures according to the importance of the different areas. Since the value of land protection has been calculated by discounting the expenditures stream, some considerations about the economic significance of the proactive policy are referred to the role played by the social discount rate in the inter-temporal economic calculation.

Land Redistribution in South Africa: Towards Decolonisation or Recolonisation?

ABSTRACTContrary to populist political discourses, in South Africa the ruling party's approach to land policy is reproducing paternalistic relations that echo apartheid practices and represent the 'colonial present'. This reality stands in stark contrast to the initial aim of land reform, which was conceived as part of a larger project of decolonisation. The latest land redistribution strategy, the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, where the state remains the landowner, is no longer consistent with the project of decolonisation. This is because, we argue, land redistribution in South Africa has drifted away from the ideal of social justice; it increasingly displays symptoms of what the 'colonial present' and 'recolonisation'. Party politics, as well as the emergence of a challenge to the ruling party from the left, has prompted a more radical rhetoric, but one that co-exists with deeply conservative practices. This paper argues that the status quo represents a betrayal of the idea of land reform as decolonisation, and that a radical shift in policy and practice is needed in order to align it with a project of decolonisation in South Africa.

Creating learning and action space in South Africa’s post-apartheid land redistribution program

This paper uses the case of South Africa’s latest land redistribution strategy known as the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, to explore whether, and how, research can have direct and positive impacts on beneficiaries of land reform. The study is situated within the practice of action research: to explore how it can generate knowledge that can be shared back and forth between stakeholders, as well as how it may ignite changes that the participants desire. The findings are that Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy is not meeting the overall goals land reform. But action research has allowed the beneficiaries to emerge from the process with new knowledge about their rights, as well as what options they have to move forward in their fight for secure land rights and decent livelihoods. We introduce a concept of a ‘learning and action space’ to explain our practice of action research. The paper concludes that action research is a desirable approach for land reform, but while it succeeded in educating beneficiaries, it is only one ingredient in ongoing struggles to challenge power relations among citizens and between citizens and the state.

Forecasting Urban Vacancy Dynamics in a Shrinking City: A Land Transformation Model

In the past two centuries, many American urban areas have experienced significant expansion in both populating and depopulating cities. The pursuit of bigger, faster, and more growth-oriented planning parallels a situation where municipal decline has also been recognized as a global epidemic. In recent decades many older industrial cities have experienced significant depopulation, job loss, economic decline, and massive increases in vacant and abandoned properties due primarily to losses in industry and relocating populations. Despite continuous economic decline and depopulation, many of these so-called ‘shrinking cities’ still chase growth-oriented planning policies, due partially to inabilities to accurately predict future urban growth/decline patterns. This capability is critical to understanding land use alternation patterns and predicting future possible scenarios for the development of more proactive land use policies dealing with urban decline and regeneration. In this research, the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA is used as a case site to test an urban land use change model that predicts urban decline in a shrinking city, using vacant land as a proxy. Our approach employs the Land Transformation Model (LTM), which combines Geographic Information Systems and artificial neural networks to forecast land use change. Results indicate that the LTM is a good resource to simulate urban vacant land changes. Mobility and housing market conditions seem to be the primary variables contributing to decline.

Real estate development in anticipation of the Green Line light rail transit in St. Paul

Although previous studies have extensively explored the impacts of rail transit on economic development after its opening, few have examined its impact on real estate development before its opening. Using the building permit data of the city of St. Paul, this study investigates the effects of key announcements of the Green Line light rail transit (LRT) by employing location quotient analysis and difference-in-difference models to compare building activity in the LRT corridor and control corridors. We found that the announcement of preliminary engineering had no positive impacts on the count and value of building permits whereas the announcement of Full Funding Grant Agreement tended to increase the number of building permit by about 24% and the value by 80%. We concluded that LRT investment, in conjunction with proactive land use planning policies, public subsidies and public funded projects, increases building activity.

The built environment typologies in the UK and their influences on travel behaviour: new evidence through latent categorisation in structural equation modelling

ABSTRACTThis paper uses a new latent categorisation approach (LCA) in structural equation modelling (SEM) to gain fresh insights into the influence of the built environment characteristics upon travel behaviour. So far as we are aware, this is the first LCA-SEM application in this field. We use all the main descriptors of the built environment in the UK National Travel Survey data in the analysis whilst accounting for the high correlations among the descriptors – this is achieved through defining a categorical rather than continuous latent variable for the built environment characteristics. This novel approach to defining a tangible typology of the built environment in the UK is capable of making the analytical results more cogent to formulating new, proactive land use planning and urban design measures as well as monitoring the outcomes of on-going planning and transport interventions. Since travel survey data are regularly collected across a large number of cities in the world, our approach helps to guide the design of future travel surveys for those cities in a way that enhances the analysis and monitoring of the impacts of planning and transport policies on travel choices.

Spotlight on the Main Actors: How Land Banks and Community Development Corporations Stabilize and Revitalize Cleveland Neighborhoods in the Aftermath of the Foreclosure Crisis

Cleveland, Ohio provides a useful case for examining and contrasting property transfer practices among certain key actors before, during, and after the foreclosure crisis. Transfers among key actors—Cleveland’s two land banks, the State of Ohio, Fannie Mae, investors, and community development corporations (CDCs)—differed considerably. This article empirically shows that inappropriate property transfer practices by financial institutions and speculator-type investors negatively impacted neighborhoods, compounding the damage brought on by the foreclosure crisis. By contrast, a case study of one of the hardest hit neighborhoods in Cleveland finds that the land banks and CDC are producing positive outcomes. A proactive land bank as a conduit and robust CDCs as a project promoter are an effective combination to cope with vacant and abandoned properties.

The role of defensible space for residential structure protection during wildfires

With the potential for worsening fire conditions, discussion is escalating over how to best reduce effects on urban communities. A widely supported strategy is the creation of defensible space immediately surrounding homes and other structures. Although state and local governments publish specific guidelines and requirements, there is little empirical evidence to suggest how much vegetation modification is needed to provide significant benefits. We analysed the role of defensible space by mapping and measuring a suite of variables on modern pre-fire aerial photography for 1000 destroyed and 1000 surviving structures for all fires where homes burned from 2001 to 2010 in San Diego County, CA, USA. Structures were more likely to survive a fire with defensible space immediately adjacent to them. The most effective treatment distance varied between 5 and 20 m (16–58 ft) from the structure, but distances larger than 30 m (100 ft) did not provide additional protection, even for structures located on steep slopes. The most effective actions were reducing woody cover up to 40% immediately adjacent to structures and ensuring that vegetation does not overhang or touch the structure. Multiple-regression models showed landscape-scale factors, including low housing density and distances to major roads, were more important in explaining structure destruction. The best long-term solution will involve a suite of prevention measures that include defensible space as well as building design approach, community education and proactive land use planning that limits exposure to fire.

Impact of Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy on Physical Capital Livelihood of Beneficiaries in Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District, South Africa

This study analysed the impact of PLAS projects on physical capital livelihood of beneficiaries in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality. Fifty-four out of 97 beneficiaries were selected through ...