Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 1 Rural Land Registration in China Dr. Yang Zhao March 10, 2009 · Washington

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Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges

Rural Land Registration in ChinaRural Land Registration in China

Dr. Yang Zhao

March 10, 2009 · Washington DCMarch 10, 2009 · Washington DC


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ContentContent

How did the FAO/WB pilot project How did the FAO/WB pilot project go?go?


What are the conclusion and next What are the conclusion and next steps?steps?What are the conclusion and next What are the conclusion and next steps?steps?

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AAWhy did China need rural land registration?Why did China need rural land registration?

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AAWhy did China need rural land registration?Why did China need rural land registration?

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1. Land Rights1. Land Rights

• The current rural land institution in The current rural land institution in China has been gradually established China has been gradually established and improved since 1978 when China and improved since 1978 when China launched the opening and reform launched the opening and reform policypolicy

• It featured as “collective-owned and It featured as “collective-owned and household-contracted (leased)” household-contracted (leased)”

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1. Land Rights (Cont’ed)1. Land Rights (Cont’ed)

• Ownership: two kindsOwnership: two kinds– Urban: state owned Urban: state owned – Rural: collective ownedRural: collective owned

• Rural land contract (use) rightRural land contract (use) right– possessed by 200,160,000 possessed by 200,160,000

agricultural production unitsagricultural production units

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2. Achievements made by 2. Achievements made by household-based land contract household-based land contract

systemsystem

• Bidding farewell to a long-term Bidding farewell to a long-term agricultural products shortageagricultural products shortage

• Stably producing enough food to huge Stably producing enough food to huge population within limited resourcespopulation within limited resources– 21% of global population21% of global population– 9.0% of global arable land9.0% of global arable land– 6.5% of global water resources6.5% of global water resources

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Figure 1: China’s Grain Production (1978-2008)Figure 1: China’s Grain Production (1978-2008)

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

11000

1978 1985 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

年

亿斤

Unit: 50 million Kg

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system (Cont’ed)system (Cont’ed)• Increasing farmers’ incomeIncreasing farmers’ income

– On average, the real growth rate of On average, the real growth rate of farmers’ income reached 7.1% in the farmers’ income reached 7.1% in the past three decadespast three decades

– The Engel coefficient of rural residents The Engel coefficient of rural residents went down to 43% now from 68% in went down to 43% now from 68% in 1978 1978

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Figure 2: Net Income of Chinese Farmers (1978-2008)Figure 2: Net Income of Chinese Farmers (1978-2008)

0500

100015002000250030003500400045005000 元

1978 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008

年

Unit: Yuan (USD 1= RMB 6.83 Unit: Yuan (USD 1= RMB 6.83 yuan)yuan)

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system (Cont’ed)system (Cont’ed)• Incidence of rural poverty declined Incidence of rural poverty declined

immenselyimmensely

– UNDP: It can never be overemphasized to UNDP: It can never be overemphasized to

give China a higher evaluation when give China a higher evaluation when

taking consideration of the China’s taking consideration of the China’s

contribution to fulfill the MDGcontribution to fulfill the MDG

– Without China's progress in reducing Without China's progress in reducing

poverty, the world poverty reduction in poverty, the world poverty reduction in

general is moving backwardsgeneral is moving backwards

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• The agricultural investment increased The agricultural investment increased significantlysignificantly– Total agricultural machinery power increased Total agricultural machinery power increased

5.5 times5.5 times– Agricultural mechanization level increasing from Agricultural mechanization level increasing from

20% in 1978 to 41% now20% in 1978 to 41% now– Effective irrigation area is 1.2 times of that in Effective irrigation area is 1.2 times of that in

19781978

• The contribution rate of science and The contribution rate of science and technology to agricultural growth increased technology to agricultural growth increased to 49% in 2007 from 27% in 1978to 49% in 2007 from 27% in 1978


system (Cont’ed)system (Cont’ed)

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3. Reasons for piloting rural land 3. Reasons for piloting rural land registrationregistration

• Insufficient protection of farmers’ land rights – Unclearly identified rural collective land ownership– Incomplete and unreliable land contract right information on the

documents

• Segmented rural land registration system– Rural land ownership: Ministry of Land & Resources– Rural land contract right: Ministry of Agriculture

• Inconsistent with the “open-ended” land contract – No. 1 Document (1984) "rural land contract term of 15 years“– No. 11 Document (1993) “rural land contract term extension of 30

years“– “Open-ended” land contract from 3rd Session of the 17th Central

Meeting– How to make the land contract certificate be in line with the new policy?

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AA Why did China need rural land Why did China need rural land registration?registration?

What are the conclusion and next steps?What are the conclusion and next steps?CC

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1. Project Initiation1. Project Initiation

• Initiated by Vice Minister Xiwen Chen from Office of Central

Leading Group on Rural Works, GOC, WB and FAO jointly

explored the feasibility to conduct the pilot project on rural

land registration in 2004

• FAO officially approved the “China Rural Land Registration

and Certification Piloting Project” in July 2005

• The national PMO was set up in Center for Rural

Development Policy, China Agricultural University (Beijing)

in August 2007

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2. Project Workshops2. Project Workshops

• Jan. 20 － 21, 2007: Start-up workshop (Beijing)

• Oct. 23 － 24, 2008: Mid-term Review Workshop (Feidong County, Anhui Province)

• Jan. 18, 2009 ： Completion Workshop (Beijing)

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3. Study Tours3. Study Tours

• The study tour helped learn the international experiences on rural land registration

– Invited by WB, a Chinese Delegation led by Vice Minister Xiwen Chen conducted a study tour in US and Canada and met with WB President in March 2006

– Supported by WB and FAO, the PMO staff conducted a study tour in Australia and Indonesia in August 2006

– Assisted by ESRI Canada, the PMO staff conducted a study tour to Canada in November 2008

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4. Project Preparation4. Project Preparation• Recruited specialists in the field of

economics, land survey and registration, public information and law

• The domestic LandStar Company jointly worked with ESRI (Canada) and ILS (US) to develop the project IT system in 2007 and completed the rural land contract right registration system in 2008

• Drafted the Project Operational Manual

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5. Pilot Selection5. Pilot Selection

• In July 2008, the pilot area was finally determined

in two villager groups in Huolong Village, Shitang

Township, Feidong County, Anhui Province

• The pilot project working group and its office as

well as the local PMO were set up in September

2008

• The baseline survey and capacity building carried out by China Agricultural University in September 2008

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6. 6. Systematic First Systematic First RegistrationRegistration • During Sept. to Nov., 2008, the NJAU

survey team conducted the land survey, cadastre identification and adjudication in the pilot areas

• During Oct. to Dec., 2008, the local PMO digitalized all land survey and cadastre information of 787 land parcels from 78 farmer households

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7. Project Outputs7. Project Outputs• Survey and adjudicationSurvey and adjudication

– formed the adjudicated parcel maps after formed the adjudicated parcel maps after precise land surveyingprecise land surveying

• Land RegistrationLand Registration

– Digitize the land parcel and survey Digitize the land parcel and survey information into the IT systeminformation into the IT system

• ManualManual

– Operational Manual for China Rural Land Operational Manual for China Rural Land Registration and CertificationRegistration and Certification

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7. Project Outputs 7. Project Outputs (Cont’ed)(Cont’ed)

• Report Report

– Country Strategic Report on Rolling-out the Country Strategic Report on Rolling-out the

Rural Land RegistrationRural Land Registration

• Further pilotFurther pilot

– Promote the proposal to implement a bigger Promote the proposal to implement a bigger

scale rural land registration pilot in 1-2 scale rural land registration pilot in 1-2

counties in Anhui Provincecounties in Anhui Province

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How did the FAO/WB pilot project How did the FAO/WB pilot project go?go?How did the FAO/WB pilot project How did the FAO/WB pilot project go?go?


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AA Why did China need rural land Why did China need rural land registration?registration?

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1. Basic Conclusion1. Basic Conclusion

• Time is ripe for itTime is ripe for it– Policy concern: consistent with the policy Policy concern: consistent with the policy

tendency tendency – Legal concern: Property Law identified the rural Legal concern: Property Law identified the rural

land contract right as a sort of property rightsland contract right as a sort of property rights

– Farmers concern: positively participate in the Farmers concern: positively participate in the

rural land registrationrural land registration– Organizational concernOrganizational concern ：： supported by supported by

relevant governmental agenciesrelevant governmental agencies– Technical concern: experiences and TAs from Technical concern: experiences and TAs from

international communitiesinternational communities

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2. Facing Challenges2. Facing Challenges• Need a huge amount of fundsNeed a huge amount of funds

– direct registration cost is between 33 - 47 yuan direct registration cost is between 33 - 47 yuan (USD 5 - 7) per land parcel in pilot (USD 5 - 7) per land parcel in pilot

– More than 1 billion land parcels engender a huge More than 1 billion land parcels engender a huge costcost

• Sectoral partition in urban and rural land Sectoral partition in urban and rural land management, coupled with the different management, coupled with the different agencies taking charge of various land agencies taking charge of various land utilization categories, pose an obstacle to the utilization categories, pose an obstacle to the land registrationland registration

• Hardly “one-size-fits-all” due to the huge Hardly “one-size-fits-all” due to the huge regional disparityregional disparity

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3. Next Steps3. Next Steps

• Employing a phased process to roll Employing a phased process to roll out may take several years to out may take several years to several decadesseveral decades– Phase I: Bigger scale pilot Phase I: Bigger scale pilot – Phase II: Coastal and peri-urban areasPhase II: Coastal and peri-urban areas– Phase III: Remaining rural areasPhase III: Remaining rural areas

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Thank you!Thank you!Dr. Yang ZHAO

Deputy Director-General

General Office of Central Leading Group On Rural Works

National Project Coordinator

FAO-funded China’s rural land registration piloting project

E-mail: [email protected]

Documents

Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 1 Rural Land Registration in China Dr. Yang Zhao March 10, 2009 · Washington