An analytical framework to consider social justice issues in farmland preservation on the urban fringe. Insights from three French cases

Preserving farmland on the urban fringe is challenging. We hypothesise that the inefficiency of some farmland protection policies may partly arise from a lack of consideration of their social impacts. This paper hence provides a 7-criterion analytical framework to examine the social justice issues raised by the implementation of planning policies. Applying it to three French policies reveals multi-dimensional inequalities arising from farmland preservation on the urban fringe. Regarding distributive justice, all three policies generate unequal access to resources (farmland, building rights) for different types of farmers. They also show spatial variations in regulations and disregard for the special needs of new farmers. Regarding procedural justice, on two of the criteria, ‘recognition of difference’ and ‘perception of injustices’, we find evidence of exclusion, domination and lack of recognition that some minority farmers or residents are inconvenienced by agricultural activities. All three farmland preservation policies allow established farmers to capture resources such as land and rights to build farm structures, hindering the renewal and diversification needed for multifunctional agriculture and local food systems. Our 7 justice criteria could help researchers in other contexts uncover similar forms of power, exclusion, injustice and inequality embedded in the elaboration and implementation of farmland preservation or other planning policies. The insights from three French farmland protection policies may help local authorities anticipate potential justice issues, develop capacities, and provide more inclusive and transparent procedures for expressing or preventing feelings of injustice.