The cropland scale operation is an important development direction of cropland utilization in China. This interview conducts an in-depth discussion on the definition, influencing factors and development pathways of cropland scale operation, with the main contents outlined as follows. Firstly, the concept of "five-in-one" cropland scale operation was proposed. The concept covers various connotations, characterizing cropland scale operation from five dimensions: area expansion, the concentration of cropland property rights, the organization of cropland operation, the specialization of production activities, and the agglomeration of landscapes. These dimensions are interrelated and influence each other. Among them, the concentration of cropland management rights serve as the foundation of other dimensions, which promotes the large-scale area, organization of operation, the specialization of production activities, and the agglomeration of landscapes. Secondly, the factors influencing the cropland scale operation were analyzed. From the perspective of per capita income, in order to keep up with the continuously increasing income of urban residents, farmers will mainly achieve this by increasing the scale of cropland operation. From this perspective, the rapid development of the urban economy determines that the cropland scale operation is a long-term development trend. However, the development of the cropland scale operation is also a complex and nonlinear process, and there are many factors affecting the operation, such as agricultural subsidies, technological development, changes in agricultural product prices, and the entry of elderly labor force. In addition, land resource endowment is also a key factor affecting the cropland scale operation. The large differences between the south and north parts of China clearly illustrate this point. Thirdly, the pathway of the cropland scale operation was analyzed. The operation is a combination of the "bottom-up" approach of farmers and the "top-down" approach of the governments at different levles. The "bottom-up" approach of farmers is the main pathway for promoting the cropland scale operation by the land transfers, but most of the transfers are spontaneous and disorderly among small-scale farmers, with high transaction costs, frequent breaches of agreements, and insufficient socialized land management services. The governments mainly influence the process of the cropland scale operation. Lastly, the future pattern of cropland use in China was discussed. Due to the various reasons, different-sized cropland use entities in China will coexist for a long time. (1) The different entities may have vast differences in their demand for cropland size. For example, the cropland scale of agricultural enterprises is definitely much larger than that of elderly laborers. The opportunity cost of elderly laborers is lower, and a smaller cropland scale can meet their farming needs. The small-scale agriculture by elderly laborers delays the process of large-scale management. (2) The cropland scale operation will vary greatly across regions (such as southern and northern regions, mountainous and plain areas).
Tan et al. (Thu,) studied this question.