German Farmers’ Perspectives on Price Drivers in Agricultural Land Rental Markets—A Combination of a Systematic Literature Review and Survey Results

Despite the popularity of agricultural land markets as a research topic, a current literature review on price drivers on agricultural land rental markets is missing, which is crucial in order to gain an overview of the status quo. Furthermore, farmers’ perceptions of price drivers on agricultural land rental markets have not been considered sufficiently. Therefore, this study combines descriptive results from a survey with 156 German farmers conducted during 2019–2020 using purposive sampling and a systematic literature review. The systematic literature review reveals four important areas acting as price drivers in agricultural land rental markets: policy/Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), bioenergy, climate change, and market prices/competition. Based on the overview, several points of departure for further research are provided. Furthermore, results from the survey show that farmers’ perceptions of the relative importance of the price drivers differ from the results of scientific literature. Therefore, perceptions of farmers should be considered for possible policy interventions derived from scientific evidence.

Farming efficiency, cropland rental market and income effect: evidence from panel data for rural Central Vietnam

Understanding the drivers and income effects of land rental markets is important to facilitate agricultural transformation. This study uses a panel dataset of rural households in Vietnam to examine the efficiency, equity and income effects of land rental markets. Probit and tobit models find that land is transferred from less to more efficient farmers and thus removing administrative barriers to the market operation is suggested. However, instrumental variable and quantile regressions show that the poor do not benefit significantly from participation in the markets. This highlights the need to take care of the poor to ensure that they are not left behind. Further analysis might focus on the efficiency thresholds that farmers switch from a market regime to another.

Determinants of Informal Land Renting Decisions by A1 and A2 Farmers in Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe

Land rental markets are critical in developing economies as they contribute to efficiency, equity and welfare gains to farmers involved under conditions of low transaction costs. Despite lack of policy consistency in Zimbabwe, A1 and A2 farmers have been involved in these land rental markets, albeit in an informal manner. This study sought to establish the determinants of farmers’ decision to take part in these informal markets. A survey was carried out in Mashonaland East province with a sample of 339 households selected through multi-stage sampling methods and data analysed using a bi-variate Tobit model. Results showed that combined together, the proportion of farmers involved in informal land rental markets are as much as those not participating. Determinants of renting-in were identified as gender, household income, permanent labour, cultivated area, tenure certainty, irrigable land size and crop diversification. Factors affecting renting-out decisions were age, permanent labour, irrigable land size and crop diversification and these results are not in any way different from findings from previous studies. The conclusion was that household characteristics and land endowments factors were strong in decisions to rent-in land while land endowments factors were dominant in decisions to rent-out land. Any future considerations for formalising land rental markets should consider these important factors having a bearing on land rental decisions.

Determinants of Informal Land Renting Decisions by A1 and A2 Farmers in Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe

Land rental markets are critical in developing economies as they contribute to efficiency, equity and welfare gains to farmers involved under conditions of low transaction costs. Despite lack of policy consistency in Zimbabwe, A1 and A2 farmers have been involved in these land rental markets, albeit in an informal manner. This study sought to establish the determinants of farmers’ decision to take part in these informal markets. A survey was carried out in Mashonaland East province with a sample of 339 households selected through multi-stage sampling methods and data analysed using a bi-variate Tobit model. Results showed that combined together, the proportion of farmers involved in informal land rental markets are as much as those not participating. Determinants of renting-in were identified as gender, household income, permanent labour, cultivated area, tenure certainty, irrigable land size and crop diversification. Factors affecting renting-out decisions were age, permanent labour, irrigable land size and crop diversification and these results are not in any way different from findings from previous studies. The conclusion was that household characteristics and land endowments factors were strong in decisions to rent-in land while land endowments factors were dominant in decisions to rent-out land. Any future considerations for formalising land rental markets should consider these important factors having a bearing on land rental decisions.