Identifying influencing factors and differences in disposal methods for contracted farmland among rural migrants: an investigation based on China’s “new urban residents”

The disposal of contracted land by rural migrants in China is influenced by multidimensional and systemic factors, which result in the gradual formation of a distorted human–land relationship that is characterized as “leaving farming without leaving rights” and “abandoning cultivation without abandoning land.” This relationship severely restricts the efficiency of rural land use and the structural upgrading of agricultural industries. Using data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey and applying a multinomial logit model, this study reveals the following findings: (1) individual characteristics, integration status, and migration factors collectively influence land disposal patterns, and they have distinct differences in characteristics, types, and regional variations; (2) in terms of individual characteristics, those rural migrants who are female, in good health, have a high level of education, own homestead land, have a large number of family members, contract a small land area, or face difficulties in dealing with the outflow of land tend to entrust their family members with continued farming rather than engaging in land transfer or abandonment when faced with the choice of contracted land disposal methods, whereas older migrants are more inclined to transfer their contracted land; (3) with respect to integration status in the inflow area, rural migrants with higher levels of economic integration and better identity integration are more likely to choose land transfer or abandonment over continued family cultivation. Conversely, those with greater levels of institutional integration are more likely to opt for continued family cultivation; (4) in terms of mobility factors, rural migrants from western regions and those with shorter migration distances are more likely to continue with family farming or abandon their contracted land. The longer the migration duration, the greater the likelihood of land abandonment. Groups that migrate for family reasons are more inclined toward land transfer or abandonment. The study concludes that the disposal of contracted land by rural migrants serves as a risk-hedging strategy and safety net against urban livelihood vulnerabilities. Multiple measures are needed to optimize disposal decisions and achieve efficient utilization of rural land resources.