Exploring the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis between economic growth and farmland conversion in China

The environmental Kuznets curve shows that environmental quality actually improved as incomes and levels of consumption went up. One might expect to observe EKC pattern between economic growth and farmland conversion. The country and province level data during 1987 to 2005 from China confirmed that such inverted U-shaped relationships between economic growth and farmland conversion are not a theoretical curiosity. The results show the scale of farmland conversion will go up with economic growth at beginning, after reaching to its peak value, then turn to go down with further economic growth. In addition, the peak value will be reached when per capita GDP gets to 16,002.42 RMB (in fixed 1986 prices). However, the peak values appear to vary with region and time.