The factor that resulted in less available farmland and more privatized farmland during the Industrial Revolution is enclosure.
Enclosure refers to the process of consolidating small landholdings into larger farms that were privately owned and managed. This practice often involved the fencing or hedging of common lands, which diminished the amount of land available for public farming and grazing. As a result, many small farmers were displaced, leading to a concentration of land ownership and the privatization of what was previously communal land. This transformation was significant in altering agricultural practices and contributing to urban migration as displaced farmers sought work in industrial cities.
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