The land is a strategic natural resource for agriculture and regional development.
The increasing demands of society contrast with the availability of natural or
human resources to meet various needs. Meanwhile, the availability of land
remains constant. Additionally, the modernization paradigm contributes to the
phenomenon of land use conversion. The reduction of productive agricultural land
is also caused by the rapid conversion of land and the development in various
economic sectors, which necessitates the availability of land and supporting
facilities and infrastructure. This research aims to identify the characteristics of
land use conversion, identify the factors of land use conversion, and analyze the
impacts of land use conversion. The study was conducted in Karangrau Village,
Sokaraja District, Banyumas Regency, known for frequent land use conversion.
The method of this research was a descriptive qualitative and quantitative case
study. Sampling was done using a census sampling method. This research
indicates that the main factors of land use conversion are the mismatch between
needs and income, high land prices compared to purchasing power, and the
absence of policies prohibiting land use conversion. Furthermore, land use
conversion has positive and negative impacts, including demographic changes,
cultural shifts, and improvements in public health.