Determining the effects of land consolidation on the multifunctionlity of the cropland production system in China using a SPA-fuzzy assessment model

The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the effect of land consolidation (LC) on the multifunctionality of cropland ecosystems. LC can serve agriculture multifunctionality, but it can also have a huge impact on the individual functions within the sector. We took 2006-2012 as study period, based on an analysis of county scale land consolidation projects (LCP) in the 31 provinces of China, this study found that the wide range of LC implementation has comprehensively influenced the multifunctionality of agriculture. LCP have significantly improved the production function of cropland, driven investment in agriculture, promoted development of the rural agricultural economy, maintained food security and stability in the rural area, and increased crop supply in most provinces. However, it also slightly impaired rural ecological benefits in some provinces. During the study period, land consolidation influenced the agricultural supply function in 14 provinces, covering 43.97% of the LC affected area and producing an increase of 1.25 million ha in cropland; In five provinces it influenced the production function over 31.18% of the LC area, changing the supply function outcome most and the ecological function least. Thus, the widespread implementation of LCP can result in significant impacts on the crop production system.