Abstract: This paper attempted to explore the way out for cultivated land protection in China from the viewpoint of multifunctional cultivated land based on the development of human living desire. Firstly, we discussed the process of cultivated land function development based on the connotation of multifunctional cultivated land. According to the process, optimization of social utility through conducting the competition of cultivated land function use on the premise of internalization of externality is the key issue of cultivated land function management. After understanding in depth this issue, we categorized cultivated land function management into monofunctional and multifunctional models. The former one is merely the transitional stage during the process of human living desire development. While, the latter one signals the direction of cultivated land resources management. Secondly, we demonstrated the two models by characterizing farmland protection in China, the Netherland and America. Finally, route of multifunctional cultivated land management was designed through integrating the experiences in the Netherland and America and the particularities in China based on the international comparison.

Key words: cultivated land protection, multifunction, monofunction, management