The legacy of coercive cotton cultivation in colonial Mozambique

Henrique Barros, Rute Martins Caeiro, Sam Jones and Patricia Justino

No wp-2024-12, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: We examine the long-term impact of forced labour on individual risk behaviour and economic decisions. For that, we focus on a policy of coercive cotton cultivation enforced in colonial Mozambique between 1926 and 1961. We combine archival sources about the boundaries of historical cotton concessions with survey data collected specifically for this study. By employing a regression discontinuity design to compare individuals living in areas inside and outside the historical cotton concessions, we document significant disparities in risk aversion and agricultural patterns between communities.

Keywords: Long-run effects; Forced labour; Colonialism; Risk attitudes; Behaviour; Regression discontinuity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-dev and nep-his
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