Farmland Conversion
The Spatial Dimension of Agricultural and Land Use Policies
Land is a key input into agricultural production and the agricultural sector remains the main user of rural land in most OECD countries. How land is managed in agriculture, and the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses, are likely to have implications not only for the provision of food, but also for the supply of public goods such as rural amenities, as well as for the quantity and quality of water. Changes in agricultural, agri-environmental, land-use, and regional policies – together with factors such as climate and demographic changes – increasingly affect land use and management choices. This report examines the impact of several policies on farmland conversion using a combination of economic analysis and empirical case studies.
Farmland conversion: Country/region examples
This chapter provides information on a range of programmes in five OECD member countries that have been designed to influence farmland preservation. Whilst the details of programmes vary from country to country, their common aim is to alter land management decisions by farmers in ways that will increase the flow of socially desirable outputs from farmland. Some programmes operate at the national level, while others are specific to a particular region. The five countries under consideration are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland and the Netherlands.
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