Conflicts between agricultural policy and sustainable land use: The case of northern Spain

Abstract

The decline of agriculture, observable mainly in industrialized countries, shows itself not only in a gradual decrease in the economic weight of the primary sector, but also in the abandonment of land devoted to agricultural and livestock activities. The phenomenon of agricultural land abandonment is complex and, in order to explain the causes, it is necessary to consider not only the physical and productive features of the land but also the social and economic characteristics of the area. It also appears to be conditioned by production specialization, since traditional livestock-raising areas show a higher risk of abandonment. The process, which is gradual, starts with a reduction in production intensity followed by increasing marginalization and, finally, the total abandonment of land use. Focusing on a representative area on the Cantabrian Coast of northern Spain, this study tests the hypothesis that a large portion of agricultural land in livestock-oriented regions is underused. It also evaluates the viability of forestry as an alternative use for abandoned lands and the potential effects of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform

agrarianisasi dan Konflik Agraria Mengubah Sosial Budaya Masyarakat Pedesaan

“…Dalam hal ini jumlah rumah tangga petani adalah tidak lagi berkomitmen untuk pertanian juga meningkat. Penggunaan lahan pertanian yang semakin intensif menurun (dinonaktifkan) atau bahkan sepenuhnya ditinggalkan [8][9]Situasi ini menyebabkan lanskap pedesaan berubah karena lahan yang tidak lagi dikelola secara produktif untuk bercocok tanam tanaman-tanaman.…”

Policy implications and impact of household registration system on Peasants’ Willingness to return rural residential lands: Evidence from household survey in rural China

“…Thus, in the decision-making process of returning to residential land, the household is not simply seeking maximum economic profit but also considering future sustainable livelihood and attempting to maximize combined economic, social, and survival benefits. Some of the literature has accordingly begun to pay attention to the micro-level issues of returning rural residential land by analyzing the impacts of several factors, including personal preferences, farm holder attitudes, and socio-economic factors such as household composition, age, educational level, and social capital, on peasants' willingness to return rural residential lands (Roel Jongeneel, Polman Nico, and Slangen Louis 2008;Yiran Zhang and Daochi Qiu 2011;Kathryn Williams and Jacki Schirmer 2012;Juan Ramón Murua, Inmaculada Astorkiza, and Begoña Eguía 2013).…”

Deagrarianization Problem and The Implications on Agricultural Policy in Indonesia

“…Spain is an example of a country in Europe whose symptoms of deagrarianisation are shown through the increase of abandoned agricultural land. This has an impact on the increase of outsourcing of agricultural production in rural areas (Murua & Astorkiza, 2013;Bourguignon, 2014). Banchirigah & Hilson (2009) show one case of deagrarianization that occurred in Ghana, Africa.…”

“…The number of farm households that are no longer committed to agriculture has also increased. Intensive use of agricultural lands is decreasing (deactivated) or even abandoned altogether (Murua & Astorkiza, 2013;Shackelton et al, 2018;Hebinck et al, 2018). This situation has changed the rural landscape where the land is no longer managed productively for food crops.…”