Is Land Expropriation to Keep Agricultural Use an Effective Strategy for the Conservation of an Urban Agricultural Heritage System? Evidence from China

Urbanization is one of the major threats to the dynamic inheritance of the agricultural heritage system (AHS). The ability to achieve sustainable development in intra-urban areas is an essential proposition related to the innovation of AHS conservation principles. The Haizhu high bed-low ditch agroe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Land (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 2; p. 363
Main Authors:	Zhao, Fei, Zhu, Changqiao, Zhang, Jia’en, Luo, Shiming, Feng, Yueyi, Xiang, Huimin, Jiang, Yichen, Lu, Xiali, Tian, Yi
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Basel MDPI AG 01-01-2023
Subjects:	Agricultural ecosystems Agricultural land Agriculture Case studies Conservation Decision making Economic aspects Ecosystem services Environmental aspects Expropriation Farmers farmland Farms high bed-low ditch agroecosystem Land acquisition Land purchases Land use Literature reviews nature reserve Nature reserves Operating costs Research methodology Rice Social aspects Sustainable development urban agricultural heritage system Urban agriculture Urban areas Urban land use Urban sprawl Urbanization wetland China Beijing China Pearl River (China) Nagara River Japan
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Summary:	Urbanization is one of the major threats to the dynamic inheritance of the agricultural heritage system (AHS). The ability to achieve sustainable development in intra-urban areas is an essential proposition related to the innovation of AHS conservation principles. The Haizhu high bed-low ditch agroecosystem (HHBLDA), a China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage System site located at the center of Guangzhou City, is taken as an example in this study. The effect of implementing the Land Acquisition to Keep Agricultural Use (LAKAU) on intra-urban AHS conservation is assessed through literature collection and review, field survey, and in-depth interviews. The results show that the LAKAU was implemented because of a three-decades-long struggle between ecological conservation and urban sprawl. Because of the important functions of ecosystem services, the AHS can coexist with urban land use in the course of rapid urbanization. The LAKAU mode can ensure that the nature of farmland remains unchanged, which is an effective strategy for the conservation of an urban AHS. The resulting problems, such as high operating costs, insufficient agricultural outputs, and insufficient local farmers in the AHS site because of off-farm opportunities, should be addressed by establishing an effective self-sustaining mechanism. Realizing the compatibility of management concepts between the AHS and nature reserves, adapting to the changing role of farmers, and strengthening the acceptance of the AHS by urban managers should attract the attention of decision-makers.
ISSN:	2073-445X 2073-445X
DOI:	10.3390/land12020363