Farmland - of

Japanese: 農地 - のうち
Farmland - of

This refers to land used for cultivation (Article 2, Clause 1 of the Agricultural Land Act), that is, land intended for the cultivation of agricultural crops. More specifically, it refers to land intended for the purpose of obtaining a harvest by cultivating and managing crops (plowing, fertilizing, sowing, weeding, etc.). Agricultural land in the above sense is treated as cultivated land in agricultural statistics (crop statistics, cultivated land and planted area statistics, etc.). In contrast, land that is used in agricultural management mainly for harvesting grass for fertilizer and feed and for grazing livestock, but is not cultivated or managed at all, is called pastureland (Article 2, Clause 1 of the Agricultural Land Act). Agricultural land and pastureland are collectively called agricultural land (Article 3, Clause 1 of the Law Concerning the Development of Agricultural Promotion Areas). In Japan, the proportion of pastureland in agricultural land has been rapidly decreasing since the end of the Meiji era. Furthermore, while agricultural profits remain sluggish, the shortage of farmers and the aging of the workforce are making it impossible to ignore the problem of idle farmland.

Farmland is not only the basic production base for food production, but because it spans vast areas, it is both private property and social property. Therefore, differences in legal provisions regarding the nature of farmland ownership and use rights determine the agricultural development of a country. Furthermore, the destruction, expansion, and infrastructure development of farmland must be carried out in a way that maintains an appropriate balance with non-agricultural land use, such as urban land use, and here too, the various systems regarding the ownership and use of farmland have a significant impact on the efficiency of a country's economy and land use. This is why there is a strong desire for a social consensus to be formed regarding the overall systems regarding land ownership and use.

[Takashi Takebe]

[Reference items] | Arable land | Grassland | Agricultural land law | Agriculture and forestry statistics

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

耕作の目的に供される土地(農地法2条1項)、すなわち農作物の栽培を目的とする土地をいう。より具体的にいえば、農作物を肥培管理(耕うん、施肥、播種(はしゅ)、除草など)して、収穫物を得ることが目的となっている土地のことである。以上の意味における農地は、農業統計上(作物統計、耕地及び作付面積統計など)、耕地として取り扱われている。これに対して、農業経営を行ううえで、主として肥料用、飼料用のための採草や家畜の放牧に利用するが、肥培管理をいっさい行わない土地を、採草放牧地(農地法2条1項)という。農地と採草放牧地とをあわせて農用地(農業振興地域の整備に関する法律3条1号)という。わが国では、農用地に占める採草放牧地の割合が、明治末年以降急速に減少している。なお、農業収益の低迷状態が続くなか、担い手不足と高齢化が進行し、農地の遊休化が無視できなくなりつつある。

 農地は、食糧生産の基本的生産基盤であるだけでなく、広大な空間的広がりをもつため、私的財産であると同時に社会的財産でもある。したがって、法制上における農地の所有権・利用権の性格規定の相違は、一国の農業発展を左右する。また、農地の壊廃・拡張および基盤整備は、都市的土地利用など農業以外の土地利用とほどよいバランスを保ちつつなされる必要があるが、ここでも、農地の所有および利用に関する諸制度が、一国経済の効率性や国土利用に重大な影響を及ぼしている。土地の所有および利用に関する制度全般について、社会的コンセンサスの形成が強く望まれるゆえんである。

[武部 隆]

[参照項目] | 耕地 | 採草地 | 農地法 | 農林統計

出典 小学館 日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について 情報 | 凡例

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