Since the 1980s, the hypothesis of cultivated land being the “lifeblood”, or in other word, the “social security theory of cultivated land” had been popular in political and academic circles in China. While recently, due to the decrease of the proportion of income from cultivated land in farmers’ total income, this theory has gradually been questioned by scholars. In fact, the capability of cultivated land as a security of the farmers depends on its asset value. At present, the phenomena of land abandonment and farmland transfer without rent become more and more prominent in the mountainous areas, and the asset value of cultivated land in such areas has experienced a great decline. So, there are several issues to be explored: whether or not the asset value of farmers’ cultivated land is devaluing on the whole in China? How reliable the social security function of cultivated land is? There are few systematic researches. Aiming to find answers for these questions mentioned above, farmers’ cultivated land with contracting rights was determined as the research object in this study. The evolution characteristics of the asset value of cultivated land from the perspective of time series and different agricultural regions will be analyzed, and the driving forces and their mechanisms on the fluctuations in the asset value of cultivated land will be explored. Quantitative evaluation of the impact of these fluctuations on family livelihood will be carried out. The study will make a contribution for the scientific judgment on the security function of rural land in the new period. In addition, reasonable advice on the reform of the rural land system, the policies optimization on regional agricultural support and protection and rural revitalization will be provided.
上世纪80年代以来,土地“命根子”假说或“耕地社保论”在政学两界广泛流行,但随着农民收入大幅增长和耕地收益比重降低,这种认识逐渐受到学者质疑。事实上,耕地保障功能的大小取决于农户耕地的资产价值,而近年来我国山区坡耕地撂荒和零租金流转等现象较为普遍,说明山区耕地的资产价值出现了大滑坡。那么,我国农户耕地的资产价值在总体上是否出现了贬值,耕地的社保功能究竟还有多大?然而,目前对此问题缺乏系统性研究。本项目拟以农户拥有承包权的耕地资产为研究对象,从时间序列和不同农业类型区分析农户耕地资产价值的演变特征,剖析农户耕地资产价值变化的驱动力及其作用机理,定量评估耕地资产价值变化对农户生计的影响,并深入探究农村土地保障功能的变化规律,以给出当前农村土地保障功能的科学判断,为新时代农村土地制度改革、区域农业支持保护政策优化和乡村振兴等提供科学建议。
1、项目背景.上世纪80年代以来,“农地社保论”或“土地是农民命根子”的说法在社会各界广泛流行。这种观念大致概括为“土地既是农民的财产,又是农民的生产资料”“土地对于农民最基本的功能就是社会保障功能”。然而,近年来中国丘陵山区存在大量耕地撂荒现象,比如2015年中国科学院调研发现全国78.3%的山区村庄发生过耕地撂荒现象,全国山区耕地撂荒率接近15%;土地流转过程中的 “零租金”流转现象也非常普遍,基于农业农村部农村经济研究中心农村固定观察点2万余农户的追踪显示,在已流转的土地中,2002年以来“零租金”流转的比例均超过40%。以上耕地撂荒和“零租金”流转等现象表明耕地资产在“贬值”。.2、研究内容.本项目从长时间序列和不同农业区的角度揭示农户耕地资产价值的演变特征,剖析农户耕地资产价值变化的驱动因素与发生机理,定量评估耕地资产价值变化对家庭耕地社会保障功能的影响程度,深入探究农村土地社会保障功能的变迁规律。.3、重要结果.1986—2018年亩均耕地净收益和亩均耕地流转租金整体上呈现下降趋势,近年农村耕地“零租金”流转的比例和耕地撂荒率均呈现显著上升的趋势,亩均耕地租金与日均劳动力工资之比不断下降;技术进步是耕地“贬值”的诱因,城镇化和工业化的推进,务农机会成本快速上涨,致使农业劳动力成本上升,加之受地形等自然条件限制,山区难以推广省工性机械,农业利润因劳动力成本和物质费用持续升高而不断下降,直至利润降至零甚至亏本,耕地便以“零租金”流转甚至撂荒;1986—2018年,农户家庭耕地资产作为生产资料的作用不断下降,表现在家庭耕地收益比的减小;同时,不同农业区的耕地资产存在较大差异,其中山地农业区耕地资产的生产资料功能最弱;农户家庭耕地资产作为养老保障的作用同样呈不断下降趋势,现阶段耕地的养老保障功能已十分微弱,并且不同农业区存在明显差异,其中山地农业区耕地的养老保障功能最弱;农户家庭耕地资产作为金融抵押品的作用同样处于不断下降态势,现阶段耕地抵押贷款的功能十分微弱。.4、关键数据.不同农业区耕地资产价值数据库、1986—2018年农户耕地资产价值数据库.5、科学意义.给出新时代农村土地保障功能的科学判断,为农村土地制度改革、区域农业支持保护政策完善以及乡村全面振兴。