I was thinking of playing farmer recently, then I remembered that if I wanted to enjoy farming I would need to beg towns for farm land laws or claim papers and stakes, or I make a public farm and hope people don't take everything (which they probably would).
I thought instead it would be ideal if any player, especially farmers, miners and loggers could propose a zone for a land permit and put it to a public vote. This would work if there was a planet wide democracy in place day one. Land permits could be semi-permanent, temporary, rent-basis, and could easily be revoked/modified by a democratic vote. When a federation is formed or a settlement overlaps, a land permit a government official could easily modify the permit if necessary.