ANCWG/2015/010
ANC Project 1 Working Paper – Evidence on land abandonment
This paper covers evidence on land abandonment in Scotland. The aims of the
project are to:



Investigate definitions of land abandonment and attempt to quantify trends in
land abandonment over time. This will cover abandonment in terms of area
being farmed but could also touch on any depopulation associated with
abandonment.
If possible, examine reasons for abandonment.
If possible, examine land abandonment situation in other regions of the UK.
Enquiries on the land abandonment situation in other regions of the UK have not
yielded any relevant research or evidence of land abandonment being a significant
issue. This paper therefore focuses on the first two aims and is organised in sections
covering:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Background
Definitions of Land Abandonment
Analysis of Agricultural Census and LFASS Claimed Area
Remote Sensing Research
Risk Factors for Land Abandonment
Key Findings

There are multiple definitions on land abandonment identified in the
academic literature. A number of definitions of land abandonment have
been outlined in the annex of this paper. Keenleyside and Tucker (2010)
describe actual abandonment as farmland no longer used at all and
semi/hidden abandonment as land with a minimal level of maintenance. We
find this definition to be useful within the Scottish context.

Since 1992 there has been significant destocking across Scotland. This
destocking is more prominent in Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) and is most
prominent on LFA land which receives a low LFASS payment per hectare.

Since 1992 there has been a movement towards the employment of
casual staff in Scottish agriculture. Whilst the total agricultural labour force
has experienced a relatively small decrease in size over the last twenty years,
there has been a large shift away from the employment of regular staff
towards casual staff.

Since 2007 there has been a 20.5% reduction in LFASS Grazing category
A land claimed. Category A land is the most marginal grazing category land
and most at risk of reduced management. This decrease in land claimed may
suggest a reduction in management activity, and hence land abandonment.
1
ANCWG/2015/010
1. Background
The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) will be replaced with a new
scheme, Areas facing Natural Constraint (ANCs) by 2018.
The rationale for payments to ANCs is presented in the European Commission
measure fiche:
Payments in mountain areas or in other areas facing natural or other specific
constraints (ANCs) aim at compensating farmers in total or partially for
disadvantages to which the agricultural production is exposed due to natural
or other specific constraints in their area of activity. Such compensation shall
allow farmers to continue agricultural land management in order to prevent
land abandonment as a precondition for maintaining the countryside and
sustainable farming systems in the areas concerned.
2. Definitions of Land Abandonment
There is an wide literature on land abandonment in the EU context, covering
definitions, measurement, causes, risk factors leading to abandonment and the
outcomes associated with abandonment.
This is no single definition of land abandonment (see Annex 1 for a summary of
definitions). However, Keenleyside and Tucker1 provide a definition we judge to be
useful in the Scottish Context:
“Farmland abandonment can be a complex and gradual process, starting with
progressive marginalisation (i.e. withdrawal of management) that leads initially to
a reduction in farming intensity (eg lower stocking rates or concentration of
management in a reduced area of the farm or infrequent cultivations). Thus it
can be difficult to define and recognise abandonment of various degrees,
especially since it can also be temporary, transitional or permanent.

Where the farmland is not used at all it can be characterised as actual
abandonment. The vegetation may change through natural succession into
tall herb, bush and forest ecosystems after a period, depending on climatic
and soil conditions etc.

Where the land is used by the farmer but with a very low level of
management, it can be described as semi-abandonment or hidden
abandonment. The land is not formally abandoned and is subject to some
form of management, which might be simply to keep it available for future
use, for example for tourism. Such land may also be subject to the minimum
management necessary to meet cross-compliance requirements (i.e. certain
environmental conditions that must be met) by all those claiming direct
payments so that the single farm payments and other CAP payments can be
1
Keenleyside, C and Tucker, G M (2010) Farmland Abandonment in the EU: an Assessment of
Trends and Prospects. Report prepared for WWF. Institute for European Environmental Policy,
London.
2
ANCWG/2015/010
claimed. Very extensive or intermittent farming operations may also fall into
this category, not least on semi-subsistence farms. Such extensive farming
is generally associated with very low or zero direct economic returns, but
may be continued for social reasons, to support other farm income streams
(eg from hunting and tourism) or for nature and landscape conservation.

Transitional abandonment has been observed particularly in EU-12 as a
result of restructuring and land reforms, and in EU-15 as a result of
compulsory set-aside (until this was abolished in 2008), or as a result of land
use change”.
The literature highlights that abandonment is a gradual process where the limits of
different land uses are not clear or precise. The cessation of management is a
necessary feature of abandonment but destocking and reductions in management
effort can lead to semi-abandoned land which is viable for future use but is at risk of
actual abandonment. Furthermore, grazing by wild deer complicates the issue in
Scotland as grazing continues to occur despite cessation of management.
Abandonment is also associated with successional change in vegetation from less to
more woody vegetation. As short term changes in land use can happen for a variety
of reasons a longer period of monitoring of land management and vegetation change
can help to establish if land has been abandoned (see section 4 below).
The term land abandonment has negative connotations but it is not always clear it is
detrimental (e.g. there are situations where environmental benefits can result from
the cessation of management).
Some definitions of abandonment include cultural and social dimensions
encompassing for instance the loss of employment or rural depopulation, other
research points to demographic change as a cause of abandonment. This paper has
focused on changes in agricultural labour as the most relevant source of population
data (see section 3 below).
As there is no single definition of land abandonment a “data led” approach is being
pursued where findings from different sources can be triangulated to form a
judgement on the situation in Scotland.
3. Analysis of Census and LFASS Scheme Data
Two areas of Scottish Government data have been identified as possible sources of
evidence on land abandonment in Scotland.
The first source is the Scottish Agricultural Census. The AgCensus provides data on
livestock numbers, stocking density of land and the agricultural workforce.
Decreases in any of these indicators have been linked to farmland abandonment.
The second source of evidence is claims made to the Less Favoured Area Support
Scheme (LFASS). LFASS claims provides data on the area of grazing land
managed within four different grazing categories which are defined by historic (2009)
production levels outlined in the following table:
3
ANCWG/2015/010
Table 1: LFASS Grazing Categories
Grazing Category
A
B
C
D
Minimum Stocking Density
0.09 Livestock Units/ha
0.15 Livestock units/ha
0.30 Livestock Units/ha
0.45 Livestock units/ha
Census data 1992-2014
The following table summarises the changes in different indicators from the Scottish
Agricultural Census between the years 1992 and 2014 for “low”, “mid” and “high”
LFASS payment parishes. The 1992 was selected as the starting point to match
data to the remote sensing analysis.
Low LFASS Parishes have been defined as those whose average LFASS payment
per hectare is less the £20, Mid LFASS Parishes are between £20 and £40 per
hectare, High LFASS Parishes are those above £40 per hectare.
The larger, more remote parishes with lower stocking densities tend to receive lower
levels of LFASS payment per hectare, whilst the more intensive agricultural parishes
tend to receive higher LFASS payments per hectare. This is demonstrated in the
maps below. These bands were selected to reflect this.
Figures 1 and 2: 2014 LFASS Payment Per Hectare and Stocking Density by Parish
4
ANCWG/2015/010
Table 2: Livestock and Farm Area Changes Since 1992
Category
Grazing livestock
Dairy Cows
Beef Suckler Cows
Total Cattle
Breeding Ewes
Total Sheep
Livestock units
Forage area
Area of farms with
Grazing Livestock (Ha)
Stocking density
Low LFASS
Parishes %
Change since
1992
-39%
-39%
-20%
-26%
-42%
-41%
-38%
-10%
Mid LFASS
Parishes%
Change since
1992
-27%
-25%
-15%
-15%
-29%
-29%
-28%
-7%
High LFASS
Parishes%
Change since
1992
-23%
-26%
-4%
-11%
-29%
-29%
-23%
-5%
Scottish
Average%
Change since
1992
-30%
-27%
-12%
-16%
-33%
-33%
-29%
-9%
-22%
-29%
-13%
-20%
-20%
-18%
-18%
-22%
Since 1992, Scotland has experienced a decrease in total livestock units. This was
most pronounced in Low LFASS Parishes which have seen the largest percentage
decreases in livestock numbers. When looking at livestock units as a whole, Low
LFASS Parishes have experienced a 38% reduction, compared to a 29% fall across
Scotland as a whole. This suggests the most marginal and remote areas have
experienced a greater reduction in livestock when compared with other areas in
Scotland.
Over the same period there was also a reduction in both forage area and the total
area of farms that managed grazing livestock across Scotland as whole. Again this
reduction was most prominent in Low LFASS Parishes.
Finally there has been a significant fall of 29% in the stocking density of Low LFASS
parishes. This compares with the Scottish average of a 22% decrease. Mid and
High LFASS parishes also experienced decreases in their stocking rates between
1992 and 2014 of 20% and 18% respectively.
The reduction in both the total area of land managed and the intensity of its
management to points towards some actual or semi land abandonment since 1992.
Some of this land could however have been put to other uses such as forestry, which
may be not reflected here.
LFASS Claimed Grazing Area Data, 2007 and 2013
The tables below outline the change LFASS Grazing Category area between 2007
and 2013:
Table 3: Change in Claimed Grazing Category Area
Grazing Category
A
B
C
D
Total
2007 Area (Ha)
1,727,059
695,555
348,929
606,683
3,378,226
2013 Area (Ha)
1,372,205
647,371
325,799
569,946
2,915,321
Difference
-354,855
-48,183
-23,131
-36,737
-462,905
% Change
-20.5%
-6.9%
-6.6%
-6.1%
-13.7%
5
ANCWG/2015/010
Table 4: Number of Parishes with a Change in Claimed Grazing Category Area
Grazing
Category
A
B
C
D
Total
Parishes with an increase in Area
Count
Area
143
88,135
190
40,382
204
23,678
259
27,503
234
133,398
Parishes with a decrease in Area
Count
Area
410
-442,990
369
-88,565
393
-46,808
463
-64,240
538
-596,303
Maps illustrating this information by parish are also provided below:
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7: Change in Claimed Grazing Category Area
6
ANCWG/2015/010
7
ANCWG/2015/010
8
ANCWG/2015/010
Between 2007 and 2013 the total area LFASS grazing category land fell by almost
463,000 Ha. This change was largely driven by a reduction in the area of the least
intensive grazing category, A. Grazing category A land fell by 355,000 Ha over the
2007 and 2013 period. The other categories saw decreases of between 23,000 and
49,000 Ha.
Across Scotland, where large decreases in claimed grazing area occurred, they
tended be in the Highlands, North East and Island Parishes. This is demonstrated in
the maps above. Furthermore where large decreases in claimed parish grazing area
were noted, they tended to occur in grazing category A.
The evidence indicates between 2007 and 2013 there has been a decrease in the
claimed area of grazing land, possibly reflecting a reduction in management. This
decline has been mainly focused in the most remote and marginal land in LFASS
areas, grazing category A. This information may suggest some land abandonment
occurred in LFASS areas between 2007 and 2013.
Changes in Agricultural Labour
Rural emigration and the availability of farm workers is described as a key cause of
land abandonment.2 The following chart displays the long-term changes in
agricultural employment in Scotland:
Figure 8: Long Term Trend in Agricultural Labour
The chart demonstrates the long term decline in the agricultural workforce which has
levelled off in the last 20-25 years. This reflects changes relating to increasing
mechanisation and a lower reliance on labour in agriculture.
2
http://agrienv.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pdfs/JRC46185_Final_Version.pdf
9
ANCWG/2015/010
The tables below outline the number of people employed in 1992 and 2014 in low,
mid and high LFASS parishes, followed by the percentage change in this level of
employment.
Tables 5, 6 and 7: Changes in Agricultural Employment
Category
Occupier Total
Spouse Total
Total Casual Staff
Total Regular Staff
Total agricultural
workforce
Category
Occupier Total
Spouse Total
Total Casual Staff
Total Regular Staff
Total agricultural
workforce
Category
Occupier Total
Spouse Total
Total Casual Staff
Total Regular Staff
Total agricultural
workforce
Low LFASS
Parishes 1992
7,929
3,105
798
6,095
Mid LFASS
Parishes 1992
13,806
6,287
1,532
13,083
High LFASS
Parishes 1992
6,441
2,948
703
5,540
Scottish
Average 1992
28,176
12,340
3,033
24,718
17,927
34,708
15,632
68,267
Low LFASS
Parishes 2014
7,960
3,553
2,843
5,699
Mid LFASS
Parishes 2014
12,741
6,316
2,505
10,359
High LFASS
Parishes 2014
5,588
2,827
1,318
4,590
Scottish
Average 2014
26,289
12,696
6,666
20,648
20,055
31,921
14,323
0
Low LFASS
Parishes %
Change 19922014
0.39%
14.43%
256.27%
-6.50%
Mid LFASS
Parishes%
Change 19922014
-7.71%
0.46%
63.51%
-20.82%
High LFASS
Parishes%
Change 19922014
-13.24%
-4.10%
87.48%
-17.15%
Scottish
Average%
Change 19922014
-6.70%
2.88%
119.78%
-16.47%
11.87%
-8.03%
-8.37%
-2.88%
Since 1992 the total Scottish agricultural workforce has fallen by around 3%. This
total decrease has been driven by a reduction in regular staff and the number of
occupiers. Despite this fall in total workforce, during this time the total number of
casual staff more than doubled from 3,033 to 6,666.
Whilst there has been a total fall in the agricultural workforce across Scotland, Low
LFASS parishes saw an increase in their total agricultural workforce by 12% over the
1992-2014 period. This is in contrast to mid- and high LFASS parishes who have
both witnessed an 8% fall in their total agricultural workforces. This increase in the
total agricultural workforce was primarily driven by casual staff, which increased by
2,045 over the 1992-2014 period. This represents an increase of 256%. The
number of regular staff in low-LFASS parishes however dropped by 396 over this
period, a reduction of 6.5%.
The patterns of change in agricultural workforce is fairly consistent across low, mid
and high LFASS parishes. In all three categories there has been a movement
towards more casual staff and a decrease in regular staff. The number of occupiers
has fallen in both mid and high LFASS parishes, whilst staying fairly level in low
LFASS parishes.
10
ANCWG/2015/010
The evidence on agricultural workforce changes indicates there has been a
movement of rural workers away from full-time jobs in agriculture. Whilst low LFASS
parishes have seen an increase in total agricultural workforce since 1992, this has
primarily been driven by casual staff. These workers tend to be seasonal and may
not live in the area all year round. The contrast to this is a reduction in regular staff
who are more likely to live in those parishes all year round. Further to this, mid- and
high LFASS parishes have seen large reductions in their regular staff workforce of
21% and 17% respectively. These trends in agricultural workforce practises could
be a reflection of reduced activity leading to fewer jobs in remote less favoured
areas.
It should be noted this initial analysis is based on a headcount approach. The final
ANC report will also reflect changes in Standard Labour Requirements (SLRs).
4. Remote Sensing Research
The Scottish Government has commissioned research to gather and analyse remote
sensing data to attempt to quantify the extent to which land abandonment has
occurred in Scotland.
Some definitions of abandonment emphasise successional change in vegetation
from less to more woody vegetation where abandonment leads to an increase in
above-ground biomass.
Research on land abandonment in Europe and Russia has demonstrated that
regardless of climate, soil type or original land use (except in the case of agroforestry
or tree-based cropping such as olives/stone fruit), the abandonment of land results in
an upwards trend in vegetation mass indices (NDVI values). The NDVI is a relatively
simple index calculated from remote sensing imagery, and has a strong correlation
with above-ground biomass.
This upward trend in NDVI reflects the vegetation succession that follows land
abandonment, and requires several years to be confidently identified. The analysis
will look at long term trends accepting that satellite coverage means the data does
not extend to all of Scotland in all years. The following years have been selected for
investigation: 1975, 1980, 1992, 2000, 2005 and 2015.
As results become available they will be shared with this working group.
5. Risk Factors for Land Abandonment
Risk factors for land abandonment drawn from the academic and grey literature are
summarised in the box below. The issues highlighted relate to the prevailing
economic, institutional and demographic conditions.
The mechanism proposed in the Rural Development regulation (a per hectare
payment rate on constrained land) arguably only addresses one of the factors below,
farm viability:
11
ANCWG/2015/010
Land Abandonment - Risk Factors Identified in Literature









Poor environmental / biophysical suitability for agriculture
Land degradation
Low farm stability and viability (e.g. low farm income, farm holder’s age
& qualification levels, lack of investment).
Regional factors (e.g. local land markets, previous trends in
abandonment and critical mass of activity).
Accessibility
Market Globalisation
Opportunities outside agriculture
Demographic Structure (availability of farm workers can drive
abandonment)
Institutional/ Policy Frameworks
Previous Scottish Government analysis on LFASS defined the risk of land
abandonment based on trends in livestock density, by parish, over a period of a few
years. The suggestion was that those with low density and downwards trajectory
were at greatest risk of abandonment.
Figures 9 and 10: Risk of Land Abandonment
12
ANCWG/2015/010
Causes and Risk Indicators of Land Abandonment
A report by the Joint Research Centre at the European Commission (2008) reviewed
evidence on farmland abandonment. The report indicated there were four areas
which explain farmland abandonment:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Geographic, ecological and agronomic factors
Demographic and socio-economic factors
Policy effects
Historical factors
Within these four areas the report describes both risk indicators which predict land
abandonment and the factors which actually cause of land abandonment. These risk
indicators and causes have been summarised in the tables below along with an brief
explanation of the link to land abandonment and any available Scottish specific
information:
1. Geographic, ecological and agronomic factors
Cause/Risk
Indictor of Land
Abandonment
Low Average
Temperature
Degree Day
Explanation
Evidence in Scotland
Up to a certain temperature,
higher heat totals provides
greater agricultural yields.
The lower yields are
experienced in areas with low
degree days make it more
difficult for farms to complete,
leading to land abandonment.
Areas in Scotland with low
degree days tend to be the
more constrained and remote
areas. These are the areas
which have been identified as
most likely to experience land
abandonment.
Steepness of
slopes.
Steeper of slopes affects the
accessibility of land making it
more difficult to exploit.
Small field size
Small fields were found to be
more difficult to cultivate.
Mapping data on the number of
degree days is available for
Scotland and is presently being
considered for use in the
designation of the new ANC
Scheme.
Steep, rough grazing slopes
are often found in the more
constrained regions of
Scotland.
Scottish average farm size is
much larger than the rest of the
UK and Europe at over 100 Ha.
The constrained areas in
Scotland which are more likely
to experience land
abandonment actually have the
larger average holding sizes
when compared to less
13
ANCWG/2015/010
constrained areas. This is
illustrated on the left hand side
map below this table.
High distance of
road to farmland
High distance of road to
farmland can for example
cause accessibility issues or
make it more difficult to get
produce to market.
Poor soil quality or
shallow soil
Poor soil quality or shallow
soil provide lower yields.
Evolution of
farming systems
The evolution of farming
systems, for example
reductions in livestock
numbers led to a lower
demand for crops, was also
found to be related to land
abandonment.
This high average disguises a
wide range of sizes, from small
crofts to large estates. In 2010
39% of holdings in the North
and West of Scotland had less
than 5 hectares of utilised
agricultural area.
A distance of 800m or more to
a metalled road was used as an
indicator of land abandonment
in a report defining vulnerable
areas in Scotland by Rural
Analysis Associates.
The report found the most
vulnerable areas of Scotland to
be concentrated in the
Highlands and Islands.
The area’s most likely to be at
risk of land abandonment in
Scotland tend to have poorer
soil quality. This is illustrated in
the Land Capability for
Agriculture (LCA) map of
Scotland below (right hand
side).
-
14
ANCWG/2015/010
Figures 11 and 12: Average Holding size 2014 and Land Capability for Agriculture in
Scotland
Sources: Left Hand Side – RESAS, 2015, Right Hand Side – JHI, 2012
2. Demographic and socio-economic factors
Cause/Risk
Indictor of Land
Abandonment
Rural emigration
Low farm
economic viability
and profit margins
Low land prices
Explanation
Evidence in Scotland
As farm workers leave rural
areas, smaller sized farms
became less viable, causing
land abandonment
As might be expected, low
economic viability of land can
lead to the end of land being
actively managed.
A correlation between low
land prices and land
abandonment was observed
in France and therefore is
seen as a risk indicator of
land abandonment.
See above for evidence on
changes in agricultural labour.
Evidence on this is presented in
the Sustainable Farming
Systems working paper (Project
4).
The average value of land and
buildings for a Scottish farm in
2014 was £1.14m.
The value of land and buildings
in LFA farm types tends to be
slightly lower. E.g. Specialist
15
ANCWG/2015/010
Inheritance or
succession
challenges
A lack of persons to inherit
the farm or disagreements
within a family preventing the
farms sale were would to be
linked to land abandonment.
Sheep (LFA) – £546k,
Specialist Beef (LFA) – £817k,
Other Cattle and Sheep (LFA) £838k.
78% of tenant farmers in
Scotland have indicated they
had an eligible successor in
place to pass on their tenancy
to. Of this group, 72% said
they had a successor who was
willing to take on all or some of
their tenancies.
54% of owner occupiers said
they planned to pass on the
business to someone else and
18% said they planned to sell
on their business.
Retirement of
older generation
Retirement of older
generation who were willing
to accept a lower standard of
living was found to contribute
to an increase in land
abandonment.
46% of crofters indicated they
have a succession plan for their
croft.
18% of owner-occupiers
planned to never retire. This
compared to 12% of tenant
farmers who never plan to
retire.
Common reasons cited for why
they did not plan to retire were
they would not want to stop
farming and they did not think
they would not have anything
else to do.
Succession and non-retirement
are risk factors for semi
abandonment as the farmer
may reduce management
activity.
3. Policy effects
Cause/Risk
Indictor of Land
Abandonment
Less Favoured
Area support
Explanation
Evidence in Scotland
Less Favoured Area support
found to limit land
abandonment and maintain
Data from the Farm Accounts
Survey in Scotland has found
that LFA Businesses are more
16
ANCWG/2015/010
rural societies despite the
poor soil quality often found
on these farms.
reliant on direct subsidies to
maintain profitability when
compared to the Scottish
average.
There is therefore evidence to
suggest LFASS and Pillar 1
subsidies has acted as a buffer
to land abandonment in
Scotland.
Low CAP
payments
Requirements of
GAEC
Low CAP payments per
hectare (from both pillars)
were identified as risk
indicators of land
abandonment.
Requirements of Good
Agricultural and
Environmental Conditions
(GAEC) were found to cause
land abandonment in some
eastern European countries.
Further evidence on this can be
found in the Sustainable
Farming Systems working
paper (Project 4).
Early projections for funding
under the new Pillar 1 payment
scheme indicate farmers in
remote and constrained rough
grazing areas are likely to see
an increase in their funding by
2019.
This may help prevent future
land abandonment.
-
4. Historical factors were mainly related identified in Eastern European countries,
concerning the move from communism to privatisation, lower government support
and the adoption of new management rules under the CAP. These factors are
not relevant to land abandonment in Scotland.
17
ANCWG/2015/010
ANNEX 1 - DEFINITIONS OF LAND ABANDONMENT
Keenleyside, C and Tucker, G M (2010) Farmland Abandonment in the EU: an
Assessment of Trends and Prospects. Report prepared for WWF. Institute for
European Environmental Policy, London.



Where the farmland is not used at all it can be characterised as actual abandonment.
Where the land is used by the farmer but with a very low level of management, it can
be described as semi-abandonment or hidden abandonment.
Transitional abandonment has been observed particularly in EU-12 as a result of
restructuring and land reforms, and in EU-15 as a result of compulsory set-aside
(until this was abolished in 2008), or as a result of land use change.
Joint Research Council “Assessing the Risk of Farmland Abandonment in the EU”
(2013)


There is no single definition of the terms “land abandonment” or “abandoned land”
The expert panel coordinated by the JRC proposed the following definition:
‘Farmland abandonment is a cessation of management which leads to undesirable
changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services’.
Pointereau et al. (2008). Analysis of Farmland Abandonment and the Extent and
Location of Agricultural Areas that are Actually Abandoned or are in Risk to be
Abandoned. EUR 23411EN – 2008, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, JRC.



The estimate of abandoned farmland or land in the process of abandonment is
difficult because the limits of the different land uses are not clear and precise, as for
example between rough grassland which is only grazed several weeks per year and
a non-utilised land which was abandoned six years ago. In both cases, shrubs and
tall herbs will be found. The presence of grazing animals is the only difference.
Abandoned land definitions are complex and results will be different according to the
chosen definition. Some authors have also given their point of view on the farmland
abandonment definition:
o “A shift from a given pattern of land use (often extensive/traditional farmland)
to a less intensive one caused by the reduction of human activity, leading to a
recovery of scrublands and eventually forest (but alternative pattern
possible).” (Danilo, 2003)
o “Land abandonment is not reduced to stopping farming exploitation but it can
also correspond to a change in the farm use of the soil, from a traditional use
to a less intensive use.” (Baudry, 1991)
o “The land is considered as abandoned land when it’s no longer used as an
economic resource.” (Coppola, 2004)
o “Abandoned land is an unused resource, both economically and
environmentally.” (Keenleyside, 2004)
o ”A land which has not been used for agricultural production without alternative
exploitation (forestry, urbanisation) covered all the year by a vegetal layer.”
(Bühnemann, 1979)
The different definition provided by literature proves the complexity of farmland
abandonment. These definitions depend on the type of their approach
(administrative, social…see Table 4) and are adaptable to the context of the country.
Thus, some countries use a qualitative definition of abandoned land (such as a
description of the condition of the land) whereas others have a quantitative definition
(number of years without cultivation or grazing). In all cases, it is acknowledged that
18
ANCWG/2015/010
farmland is considered to be abandoned when there are no more farming functions.
Soil sealing and tree plantation are never considered as a process of farmland
abandonment.
19