Problem
Deliberately unused farm fields
Other Names:
Undeveloped farming landUndiversified agricultural land use
Underutilization of cropland
Incidence:
[Industrialized countries] Farmers in many EEC/EU countries are paid to take land out of production because of agricultural surpluses. In the UK in 1993, farmers were paid £840 million in state aid for growing no crops. Up to 1.5 million acres is expected to be taken out of production by 1996.
[Developing countries] Deliberate underutilization of land is practised by plantation owners who have a vested interest in securing as much available land as possible in order to withhold it from use and to ensure the dependence of local labour on the landowning class. Local workers are then obliged to work on the plantations on terms dictated by the landowners.
Broader Problems:
Unused landUnavailability of farming landFragmented agricultural developmentDeclining agricultural land Narrower Problems:
Unstable shifting agriculture Strategies:
Fallowing landEmploying unused land Subject(s):
Agriculture, Fisheries → AgricultureAgriculture, Fisheries → Cultivation
Agriculture, Fisheries → Farming
Development → Development
Economics → Resource utilization
Geography → Land type/use
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
E: Emanations of other problems Date of last update
17.10.2021 – 08:28 CEST