An Estimation of the Extent of Rent-Free Farmland Transfer and Its Driving Forces in Rural China: A Multilevel Logit Model Analysis

Abstract

In recent years, the rent-free farmland transfer has become increasingly prominent in rural China. By employing multiple data sources, this study estimates the extent of rent-free land transfer from 1986 to 2015 and develops a multilevel logit model to identify its drivers. The results show that the extent of rent-free land transfer has been increasing, especially since 2002, and 30% to 50% of the land that has been transferred does not receive any rent, both in terms of the number of land parcels and the land area. There are obvious regional differences for the rent-free phenomenon in the process of land transfer, especially in mountainous areas, where the proportion is more than 70%. The cost-benefit analysis at the land parcel level shows that the average net income of rent-free land per mu that has been transferred (1 mu = 1/15 ha) is at a loss of 66 yuan, at 35 yuan. The rent-free land transfer is affected by factors at the levels of the land parcel, farmer and village. The land parcel size, quality level and irrigation condition are the key factors at the land parcel level; the ratio of the non-agricultural income in the family and land fragmentation are the key factors at the farmer level, and the inter-village gap is the key factor at the village level. The land parcel features account for approximately 40% of the variation in the rent-free land transfer. In sum, the increase in the labour cost is the direct reason for the rent-free land transfer, and land parcel features and the marginalization of mountainous areas are the preconditions for the rent-free land transfer. A rent-free land transfer is reasonable to some extent, but it is not an informal land transfer, and land rent does not play an effective role in allocating land resources. In this process, the idle or abandoned land resources in mountainous areas become relatively rich. The government should reasonably introduce urban capital and fully tap relatively rich land resources to realize the land capital appreciation and develop the local economy, and it should further regulate the land rental market and lay an emphasis on the integration of land resources, while moderating scale operations in mountainous areas.

Does the New Rural Pension System Promote Farmland Transfer in the Context of Aging in Rural China: Evidence from the CHARLS

“…That is to say, cultivated land is not only a means of production for farmers, but also as a kind of old-age security. However, there have been large-scale rent-free land transfer and land abandonment in rural China in recent years, which indicates that the function of cultivated land as a means of production or old-age security is declining [13,16,32]. According to the actual investigation, the pension function of cultivated land is far from meeting the basic consumption demand of the elderly.…”

The Equilibrium Mechanism of Interest Distribution in Farmland Transfer: Based on the Perspective of the Three-Party Game

“…Scholars study the formation mechanism, components, pricing model, and influencing factors of farmland transfer rent, respectively. Some scholars' studies show that 30% to 50% of the land that has been transferred does not receive any rent, in terms of both the number of land parcels and the land area [9]. e purposes of the research are to improve the rent of farmland transfer, protect farmers' interests, and promote the transfer of farmland.…”

Spatial differentiation of social security function of cultivated land assets: Comparison of different agricultural regions

“…地 理 科 学 进 展 第 39 卷 户耕地的资产价值。近年来山区坡耕地弃耕、 撂荒 和零租金流转等现象在全国范围内较为普遍 [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] 。 1992-2017 年， 全国范围内有耕地撂荒记录的县市 达到 165 个， 主要集中在湖北、 重庆、 甘肃、 云南、 四 川、 江西和安徽南部等地区 [11] ； 基于全国山区县的 抽样调查显示， 2014-2015 年， 78%的村庄出现了 耕地撂荒， 耕地撂荒率为 14.3% [11][12][13][14] 。与此同时， 山 区耕地零租金流转的比例已超过 70% [15,[17][18] [19][20] [3] [21] 。养老需求下限计算公式： [25] 。 华南农业大学 "土地适度规模经营" 课题组认为平 原地区户均最优面积为 88~117 亩 [24] ； 中国科学院的 研究发现， 若要降低农户机械成本， 最优的农场规 模最小应为 50 亩 [25] [27][28] Abstract: Under the background of a large population and scarce land resources and the dual structure of land property right, the cultivated land resources in China have been the lifeline of farmers, and their social security function is considered the stabilizer of society. But this view has been increasingly questioned in recent years.…”