Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Resource Economics

Dissertation of Tan Rong

Governing Farmland Conversion in China: Seeking efficient utilization of a collectively owned natural resource in transition

Start: October 06
End: April 13



Farmland conversion, i.e., farmland to be converted for urban development, has its significant contribution to the economic growth and the rapid urbanization in China. However, as a utilization of natural resource, if the conversion is inefficiency, it will cause certain negative effects, such as fast economic growth but with huge input waste, food security due to the huge population, environmental degradation, and the unstableness of the loss-land farmers. Thus, to understand the efficiency of farmland conversion is important for China. The aim of this study is to assess and seek an appropriate way to govern farmland conversion in China, which is essentially an issue of efficient utilization of collective-owned natural resource in transition. The study employs the Transaction Cost Economics and the New Institutional Economics to analyze the governance structure and institutional environment of Chinese farmland conversion, which aims to provide some evidence for current reform of land institutions in China.

Researcher: Tan Rong

Cooperation Partners:

Advisors: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Konrad Hagedorn, Dr. Volker Beckmann

Funding: EU

 


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