The Challenge of Farmland Preservation: Lessons from a Six-Nation Comparison

Abstract

Countries differ significantly in their laws and policies for farmland preservation and in the degree of success achieved. This paper compares the policies of the U.S.A. and Canada—two countries with a high rate of farmland per person—with four other democracies on the other side of the Atlantic—Britain, The Netherlands, France, and Israel. The policies of the European Community are also discussed. The paper develops a framework for cross-national comparison of institutional, policy, and contextual factors. The findings show that stringent legal controls are not enough, nor is there a strong correlation between degree of success in farmland preservation and any particular format for planning. The great successes of the Netherlands and Britain—among Europe's most densely inhabited countries—are attributable to other factors. Since farmland preservation is increasingly being challenged by a declining economic rationale and competing collective goals, and since the countries across the Atlantic have had to face these challenges earlier than North America has, unlocking the secrets of success and failure through cross-national comparisons can help American and Canadian planners prepare effectively to meet future challenges.