Do farmland transfers mitigate farmland abandonment? --A case study of China's mountainous areas

Farmland abandonment is a manifestation of farmland misallocation in mountainous parts of China. Farmland transfers are an important pathway for reallocating farmland, and it is still unclear whether farmland transfer can mitigate abandonment and what factors affect the relationship between the two. Thus, according to the principle of resource market allocation, this study constructed a theoretical model that included labor force, farmland resources endowment, and the land market. Combining unique survey data (539 samples), we used Tobit, IVTobitl, the interaction impact, and moderation effect models to analyze the effect of farmland transfers on abandonment at the village level. We found that farmland transfers could mitigate abandonment. The farmland abandonment rate declined by 0.09% when the transfer rate increased by 1%. For areas with fewer full-time agricultural labors, abundant farmland resources, more high-quality farmland, and more transfers with paid rent, the impact of farmland transfers on abandonment was greater. Village cadres also believed farmland transfers could mitigate abandonment, and viewed labor force resources and farmland resource endowment as important factors affecting abandonment. This study helps to deepen the understanding of the relationship between farmland transfers and abandonment, and serves as a basic scientific reference for corresponding policy suggestions on how to enhance the effect of farmland transfers.