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Effect of Forestland Property Rights and Village Off-Farm Environment on Off-Farm Employment in Southern China

Author

Listed:
  • Yang Yang

    (School of Economics and Management, Xi’an University of Posts & Telecommunications, Xi’an 710121, China)

  • Hua Li

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Zhen Liu

    (School of Business, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China)

  • Long Cheng

    (School of Economics and Management, Xi’an University of Posts & Telecommunications, Xi’an 710121, China)

  • Assem Abu Hatab

    (Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
    Department of Economics and Rural Development, Arish University, Al-Arish 45511, Egypt)

  • Jing Lan

    (College of Public Administration, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

Abstract

Reasonably promoting the off-farm employment of rural surplus labor in China’s collective forest areas is an important way to increase forest resources and increase farmers’ income. China’s new round of collective forest tenure reform (CFTR) aims to optimize forest area labor allocation by strengthening forestland property rights. Therefore, in different village off-farm environments, it is necessary to explore how forestland property rights affect off-farm employment in forest areas. Based on survey data from 742 households in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, this paper examines this effect using the double-hurdle model. The results indicate that forestland transfer rights promote decision-making about, and the supply of, off-farm labor, while forest harvesting rights significantly increase the supply of off-farm labor. The villages’ off-farm income ratio also affected the supply of off-farm labor. Moreover, under the regulation of the village off-farm income ratio, the positive incentives of forestland transfer rights on decision-making about, and the supply of, off-farm labor gradually weakened, but the incentive effect of forest harvesting rights on the supply of off-farm labor gradually increased. It is proposed that the CFTR should be further promoted, the forestland circulation mechanism and regulating forest harvest quota system should be improved, and implementation of forestry property mortgages should be strengthened.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang Yang & Hua Li & Zhen Liu & Long Cheng & Assem Abu Hatab & Jing Lan, 2020. "Effect of Forestland Property Rights and Village Off-Farm Environment on Off-Farm Employment in Southern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2605-:d:336906
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    Cited by:

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    2. Tingting Zhang & Shunbo Yao & Jinna Yu & Assem Abu Hatab & Zhen Liu, 2020. "Effects of China’s Collective Forestland Tenure Reform Policies on Forest Product Firm Values," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Starfinger, Marcel & Tham, La Thi & Tegegne, Yitagesu Tekle, 2023. "Tree collateral – A finance blind spot for small-scale forestry? A realist synthesis review," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    4. Yang Yang & Hua Li & Long Cheng & Youliang Ning, 2021. "Effect of Land Property Rights on Forest Resources in Southern China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-15, April.
    5. Chen Hu & Hongxiao Zhang, 2023. "The Impact of Collective Forest Tenure Reform on Forest Carbon Sequestration Capacity—An Analysis Based on the Social–Ecological System Framework," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-20, August.
    6. Yuanyuan Guo & Can Liu & Hao Liu & Ke Chen & Dan He, 2023. "Financial Literacy, Borrowing Behavior and Rural Households’ Income: Evidence from the Collective Forest Area, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, January.

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