Abstract
We examine the impact of ambiguous and contested land rights on investment and productivity in agriculture in Akwapim, Ghana. We show that individuals who hold powerful positions in a local political hierarchy have more secure tenure rights and that as a consequence they invest more in land fertility and have substantially higher output. The intensity of investments on different plots cultivated by a given individual corresponds to that individual's security of tenure over those specific plots and, in turn, to the individual's position in the political hierarchy relevant to those specific plots.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 981-1022 |
| Number of pages | 42 |
| Journal | Journal of Political Economy |
| Volume | 116 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2008 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics and Econometrics