Formalizing rural land rights in West Africa: early evidence from a randomized impact evaluation in Benin

Markus Goldstein, Kenneth Houngbedji, Florence Kondylis, Michael O'Sullivan and Harris Selod ()

No 7435, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: This paper presents early evidence from the first large-scale randomized-controlled trial of a land formalization program. The study examines the links between land demarcation and investment in rural Benin in light of a model of agricultural production under insecure tenure. The demarcation process involved communities in the mapping and attribution of land rights; cornerstones marked parcel boundaries and offered lasting landmarks. Consistent with the model, improved tenure security under demarcation induces a shift toward long-term investment on treated parcels. This investment does not yet coincide with gains in agricultural productivity. The analysis also identifies significant gender-specific effects. Female-managed landholdings in treated villages are more likely to be left fallow?an important soil fertility investment. Women further respond to an exogenous tenure security change by moving production away from relatively secure, demarcated land and toward less secure land outside the village to guard those parcels.

Keywords: Common Property Resource Development; Legislation; Economics and Gender; Gender and Poverty; Gender and Economic Policy; Agricultural Economics; Legal Products; Urban Housing; Urban Governance and Management; Legal Reform; Urban Housing and Land Settlements; Social Policy; Gender and Economics; Judicial System Reform; Regulatory Regimes; Municipal Management and Reform (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-04-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dev and nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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