Agricultural Land Conversion Drivers : A Comparison between Less Developed, Developing and Developed Countries

This study examines the level of intensity, trend and the main drivers of agricultural land conversion (ALC) worldwide. Considering the World Bank classification and using a stratified random sampling, 94 countries were selected in three different groups: less developing, developing and developed countries. Data were obtained from two databases; Nation Master and Earth Trends for the period of 1961-2003. The empirical results revealed some differences in the level of intensity and the trend of ALC among the groups. Agricultural land loss was more intensified in developing countries experiencing rapid economic growth and a transition in their economic structure. The results also showed that there is a positive correlation between ALC and productivity, capital-labour ratio and urban population. Urban population was identified as the main driver affecting ALC in all the countries. Furthermore, although urbanization process exists in all the groups, the developed countries are more successful in managing urban development and ALC. Considering the increasing trend of ALC in the future and its socio-economic and environmental impacts, this study concluded that governments' intervention in land policies is needed to preserve agricultural lands