Optimization Model of Permanent Basic Farmland Indicators Distribution from the Perspective of Equity: A Case from W County, China

Abstract

Based on its national conditions and food availability, China has embarked on the road to establishing food security in a way by implementing the concepts of innovative, coordinated, green, open and inclusive development, and the requirements of high-quality development and a national food security strategy for a new era. As a result, the permanent basic farmland protection zone designated for high-quality arable land reserves had become a fundamental national policy. However, the allocation of permanent basic farmland protection quantity indicator is always a challenge due to the conflicts between the development and protection process. The unequal protection indicator allocation is often cited as an inefficient source of permanent basic farmland production and protection. In this article, an optimization model is introduced to allocate preservation indicators by using the Gini coefficient, a widely used index of income inequality in economics. The optimization model is based on a hierarchical structure of the multi-criteria factors and the objective weighting method. The allocation of a permanent basic farmland protection indicator in W county, China, is chosen as a case study to illustrate the application of this model with a focus on a balance between equality and efficiency. The result shows that the method can provide profound insight for land management policymakers.