Exploring the impact of land fragmentation on the performance of agriculture: a systematic review

Abstract Land fragmentation has been portrayed as a significant constraint on agricultural production and, more broadly, rural development in many countries across the globe. As a result of various social, cultural, economic, and political factors, agricultural land fragmentation is a persistent problem that is getting worse. The degree of land fragmentation affects agricultural performance, which includes productivity, profitability, efficiency, etc. Distance between the parcels, their viability, shape, and size all are the influencing factors for the agricultural performance in a region. The goal of this study is to comprehensively understand the causes, issues, and challenges related to land fragmentation worldwide. The study also aims at how agricultural land fragmentation affects the performance and efficiency of agriculture. Through a systematic literature survey from 1990 to the present time, the study tries to examine the causes, issues, and challenges of land fragmentation faced by various regions of the world. This study reviewed 150 articles and synthesized the thematic and descriptive attributes of these publications for identifying the links between the land fragmentation and agricultural efficiency. The study tries to present a coherent view on the approaches used for the measuring of fragmentation. The study reveals that land fragmentation poses a more significant challenge in densely populated regions where land for agricultural activities is limited, such as China, India, and Bangladesh. An increase in land fragmentation curbs mechanization and farm efficiency, fragmented ownership can serve as a risk management strategy and offer solutions to alleviate various challenges. However, in South and South-East Asia, land fragmentation leads to reduced agricultural output and profitability, compelling farmers to abandon their land, resulting in a growing socio-economic challenge. Furthermore, the outcomes also brought to the forefront the significant policy recommendations put forth by the researchers, laying a foundation for future researchers and planners. Graphical Abstract