Land grabs and labor in Cambodia

Sebastian Anti

Journal of Development Economics, 2021, vol. 149, issue C

Abstract: Large-scale Land Acquisitions (LSLAs), often labeled “land grabs,” are long-term leases of land obtained by private companies. I merge data on the precise locations of 236 LSLAs in Cambodia established between 1996 and 2012 with newly geocoded data from the Cambodian Socio-Economic Surveys to estimate the effects of LSLAs on employment, household spending, and agricultural investment. I find that LSLAs cause a shift away from independent agricultural production towards employment in agricultural labor in adjacent regions. Additionally, I find that LSLAs result in a decline in household spending and little evidence that LSLAs result in local technology adoption.

Keywords: Agricultural policy; Agricultural labor market; Project evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 O22 Q12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:deveco:v:149:y:2021:i:c:s0304387820301917

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2020.102616

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