The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations

Although land plays a crucially important role in economic development and structural transformation, the causes and consequences of the evolution of farming land have received scant attention in recent decades. In this article, I document global and regional changes in aggregate agricultural land u...

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Main Author: Headey, Derek D.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148424
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author Headey, Derek D.
author_browse Headey, Derek D.
author_facet Headey, Derek D.
author_sort Headey, Derek D.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Although land plays a crucially important role in economic development and structural transformation, the causes and consequences of the evolution of farming land have received scant attention in recent decades. In this article, I document global and regional changes in aggregate agricultural land use, per capita land use, and average farm sizes. The spatial distribution of global farming land has changed dramatically, with developed countries substantially reducing their share of global agricultural land, and land‐abundant developing countries substantially increasing their share. In per capita terms, we see a rather different pattern, with average farm sizes increasing in rich and more commercialized agricultural systems, and generally declining or staying constant in poorer and less commercialized systems. These outcomes are the result of complex processes that are not always well understood. I conclude the article by suggesting new, or neglected, areas of research that would facilitate a better understanding of these critically important developments.
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spelling CGSpace1484242024-10-25T07:59:25Z The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations Headey, Derek D. economic development capacity development farmland land use developing countries farm size Although land plays a crucially important role in economic development and structural transformation, the causes and consequences of the evolution of farming land have received scant attention in recent decades. In this article, I document global and regional changes in aggregate agricultural land use, per capita land use, and average farm sizes. The spatial distribution of global farming land has changed dramatically, with developed countries substantially reducing their share of global agricultural land, and land‐abundant developing countries substantially increasing their share. In per capita terms, we see a rather different pattern, with average farm sizes increasing in rich and more commercialized agricultural systems, and generally declining or staying constant in poorer and less commercialized systems. These outcomes are the result of complex processes that are not always well understood. I conclude the article by suggesting new, or neglected, areas of research that would facilitate a better understanding of these critically important developments. 2017-01-25 2024-06-21T09:24:39Z 2024-06-21T09:24:39Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148424 en Wiley Headey, Derek D. 2016. The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations. Agricultural Economics 47(51): 185-196. https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12313
spellingShingle economic development
capacity development
farmland
land use
developing countries
farm size
Headey, Derek D.
The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations
title The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations
title_full The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations
title_fullStr The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations
title_full_unstemmed The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations
title_short The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations
title_sort evolution of global farming land facts and interpretations
topic economic development
capacity development
farmland
land use
developing countries
farm size
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148424
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