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

2. 2 Content How did the FAO/WB pilot project go? What are the conclusion and next steps? B B C C A A Why did China need rural land registration?

3. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 3 How did the FAO/WB pilot project go? What are the conclusion and next steps? B B C C A A Why did China need rural land registration?

4. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 4 1. Land Rights The current rural land institution in China has been gradually established and improved since 1978 when China launched the opening and reform policyThe current rural land institution in China has been gradually established and improved since 1978 when China launched the opening and reform policy It featured as “collective-owned and household-contracted (leased)”It featured as “collective-owned and household-contracted (leased)”

5. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 5 1. Land Rights (Cont’ed) Ownership: two kindsOwnership: two kinds –Urban: state owned –Rural: collective owned Rural land contract (use) rightRural land contract (use) right –possessed by 200,160,000 agricultural production units

6. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 6 2. Achievements made by household- based land contract system Bidding farewell to a long-term agricultural products shortageBidding farewell to a long-term agricultural products shortage Stably producing enough food to huge population within limited resourcesStably producing enough food to huge population within limited resources – 21% of global population –9.0% of global arable land –6.5% of global water resources

7. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 7 Figure 1: China’s Grain Production (1978-2008) Unit: 50 million Kg

8. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 8 2. Achievements made by household- based land contract system (Cont’ed) Increasing farmers’ incomeIncreasing farmers’ income –On average, the real growth rate of farmers’ income reached 7.1% in the past three decades –The Engel coefficient of rural residents went down to 43% now from 68% in 1978

9. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 9 Figure 2: Net Income of Chinese Farmers (1978-2008) Unit: Yuan (USD 1= RMB 6.83 yuan)

10. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 10 2. Achievements made by household- based land contract system (Cont’ed) Incidence of rural poverty declined immenselyIncidence of rural poverty declined immensely –UNDP: It can never be overemphasized to give China a higher evaluation when taking consideration of the China’s contribution to fulfill the MDG –Without China's progress in reducing poverty, the world poverty reduction in general is moving backwards

11. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 11 The agricultural investment increased significantlyThe agricultural investment increased significantly –Total agricultural machinery power increased 5.5 times –Agricultural mechanization level increasing from 20% in 1978 to 41% now –Effective irrigation area is 1.2 times of that in 1978 The contribution rate of science and technology to agricultural growth increased to 49% in 2007 from 27% in 1978The contribution rate of science and technology to agricultural growth increased to 49% in 2007 from 27% in 1978 2. Achievements made by household- based land contract system (Cont’ed)

12. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 12 3. Reasons for piloting rural land registration 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?

13. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 13 How did the FAO/WB pilot project go? B B A A Why did China need rural land registration? What are the conclusion and next steps? C C

14. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 14 1. 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

15. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 15 2. 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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18. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 18 3. 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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21. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 21 4. 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

22. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 22 5. 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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24. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 24 6. Systematic First Registration 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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26. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 26 7. Project Outputs Survey and adjudicationSurvey and adjudication –formed the adjudicated parcel maps after precise land surveying Land RegistrationLand Registration –Digitize the land parcel and survey information into the IT system ManualManual –Operational Manual for China Rural Land Registration and Certification

27. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 27 7. Project Outputs (Cont’ed) ReportReport –Country Strategic Report on Rolling-out the Rural Land Registration Further pilotFurther pilot –Promote the proposal to implement a bigger scale rural land registration pilot in 1-2 counties in Anhui Province

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29. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 29 How did the FAO/WB pilot project go? What are the conclusion and next steps? B B C C A A Why did China need rural land registration?

30. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 30 1. Basic Conclusion Time is ripe for itTime is ripe for it –Policy concern: consistent with the policy tendency –Legal concern: Property Law identified the rural land contract right as a sort of property rights –Farmers concern: positively participate in the rural land registration –Organizational concern ： supported by relevant governmental agencies –Technical concern: experiences and TAs from international communities

31. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 31 2. Facing Challenges Need a huge amount of fundsNeed a huge amount of funds –direct registration cost is between 33 - 47 yuan (USD 5 - 7) per land parcel in pilot –More than 1 billion land parcels engender a huge cost Sectoral partition in urban and rural land management, coupled with the different agencies taking charge of various land utilization categories, pose an obstacle to the land registrationSectoral partition in urban and rural land management, coupled with the different agencies taking charge of various land utilization categories, pose an obstacle to the land registration Hardly “one-size-fits-all” due to the huge regional disparityHardly “one-size-fits-all” due to the huge regional disparity

32. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 32 3. Next Steps Employing a phased process to roll out may take several years to several decadesEmploying a phased process to roll out may take several years to several decades –Phase I: Bigger scale pilot –Phase II: Coastal and peri-urban areas –Phase III: Remaining rural areas

33. Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs: Responding to New Challenges 33 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: yangzh@drc.gov.cn