Formalizing Rural Land Rights in West Africa : Early Evidence from a Randomized Impact Evaluation in Benin

Goldstein, Markus ; Houngbedji, Kenneth ; Kondylis, Florence ; O'Sullivan, Michael ; Selod, Harris

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: COMMUNITIES;    VILLAGES;    CORPORATION;    PRODUCTION;    LAND RIGHT;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7435
RP-ID  :  WPS7435

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper presents early evidence fromthe first large-scale randomized-controlled trial of a landformalization program. The study examines the links betweenland demarcation and investment in rural Benin in light of amodel of agricultural production under insecure tenure. Thedemarcation process involved communities in the mapping andattribution of land rights; cornerstones marked parcelboundaries and offered lasting landmarks. Consistent withthe model, improved tenure security under demarcationinduces a shift toward long-term investment on treatedparcels. This investment does not yet coincide with gains inagricultural productivity. The analysis also identifiessignificant gender-specific effects. Female-managedlandholdings in treated villages are more likely to be leftfallow—an important soil fertility investment. Women furtherrespond to an exogenous tenure security change by movingproduction away from relatively secure, demarcated land andtoward less secure land outside the village to guard those parcels.