IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/zfwige/v60y2016i1-2p81-96n4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Interplay between structural change in Central Asian agriculture and institutional scarcity of land and water: evidence from Tajikistan

Author

Listed:
  • Theesfeld Insa

    (Insa Theesfeld, Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany, e-mail: insa.theesfeld@landw.uni-halle.de)

  • Klümper Frederike

    (Frederike Klümper, Leibniz-Institut für Agrarentwicklung in Mittel- und Osteuropa, Halle, Germany)

Abstract

This contribution focuses on the interaction between structural change in agriculture and the availability of key natural resources – land and water. The relationship is not unidimensional; therefore, we propose three dimensions of resource-induced structural change. The first dimension describes the links between the two critical input factors into agricultural production, namely land and water. To systematize this perspective, we use the concept of linking patterns that depict direct and indirect intersectoral linkages from a property rights perspective. Second, we examinee the dimension of how structural change in agriculture can be triggered by scarcity of natural resources. The third dimension describes structural change that may lead to overuse and scarcity. In this regard, we introduce resource scarcity not only as physical but most important as institutional scarcity. To illustrate these dimensions, we have chosen a case in Central Asia, where the availability and the control of access and withdrawal rights to land and water is of utmost importance for the agricultural sector. Tajikistan faces physical and institutional scarcity in arable land. The institutional scarcity is due to the non-transparent and costly processes that need to be followed to gain land rights. Likewise there is sufficient supply in water, in Tajikistan, but the de-facto access rights to water are limited for some groups. For instance, the post-socialist irrigation infrastructure is now inappropriate to serve all small-scale users on a canal. In the future, land use change due to a predicted increase of major investors, will have additional impact on the de-facto water rights. We conclude that a solid study not only on the physical but also on the institutional relations of agriculture to natural resources is important to come to reliable predictions of structural change in agriculture. We also show that structural change in agriculture may have wider implications for rural society that go beyond the agricultural sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Theesfeld Insa & Klümper Frederike, 2016. "Interplay between structural change in Central Asian agriculture and institutional scarcity of land and water: evidence from Tajikistan," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 60(1-2), pages 81-96, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:zfwige:v:60:y:2016:i:1-2:p:81-96:n:4
    DOI: 10.1515/zfw-2016-0003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/zfw-2016-0003
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/zfw-2016-0003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edella Schlager & Elinor Ostrom, 1992. "Property-Rights Regimes and Natural Resources: A Conceptual Analysis," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 68(3), pages 249-262.
    2. World Bank, 2012. "Farmer and Farm Worker Perceptions of Land Reform and Sustainable Agriculture in Tajikistan," World Bank Publications - Reports 11897, The World Bank Group.
    3. Swinnen, Johan F.M. & Rozelle, Scott, 2006. "From Marx and Mao to the Market: The Economics and Politics of Agricultural Transition," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199288915.
    4. Sarah Robinson & Tanya Guenther, 2007. "Rural Livelihoods in Three Mountainous Regions of Tajikistan," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 359-378.
    5. Theesfeld, Insa, 2004. "Constraints on Collective Action in a Transitional Economy: The Case of Bulgaria's Irrigation Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 251-271, February.
    6. Konrad Hagedorn, 2008. "Particular requirements for institutional analysis in nature-related sectors," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 35(3), pages 357-384, September.
    7. Theesfeld, I., 2016. "The Impacts of Liberalized Land Markets on the Resource Water: A Property Rights Approach," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 51, March.
    8. Chavas, Jean-Paul, 2001. "Structural change in agricultural production: Economics, technology and policy," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: B. L. Gardner & G. C. Rausser (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 5, pages 263-285, Elsevier.
    9. Hofman, Irna & Visser, Oane, 2014. "Geographies of transition: The political and geographical factors of agrarian change in Tajikistan [Geographien der Transformation: Die politischen und geographischen Faktoren der Landreform in Tad," IAMO Discussion Papers 151, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO).
    10. Klaus Deininger & Derek Byerlee & Jonathan Lindsay & Andrew Norton & Harris Selod & Mercedes Stickler, 2011. "Rising Global Interest in Farmland : Can it Yield Sustainable and Equitable Benefits?," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2263.
    11. Berbel, J. & Gomez-Limon, J. A., 2000. "The impact of water-pricing policy in Spain: an analysis of three irrigated areas," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 219-238, March.
    12. Akramov, Kamiljon T. & Shreedhar, Ganga, 2012. "Economic development, external shocks, and food security in Tajikistan:," IFPRI discussion papers 1163, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Gehrigk, Frederike & Herzfeld, Thomas & Theesfeld, Insa, 2013. "Farmers' perceptions of land and water property rights: Discrepancies between de jure and de facto rights in Tajikistan," International Conference and Young Researchers Forum - Natural Resource Use in Central Asia: Institutional Challenges and the Contribution of Capacity Building 159119, University of Giessen (JLU Giessen), Center for International Development and Environmental Research.
    14. von Braun, Joachim & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela, 2009. ""Land grabbing" by foreign investors in developing countries: Risks and opportunities," Policy briefs 13, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. repec:zbw:iamodp:199945 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Frederike Klümper & Insa Theesfeld, 2017. "The Land–Water–Food Nexus: Expanding the Social–Ecological System Framework to Link Land and Water Governance," Resources, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-16, July.
    2. Klümper, Frederike & Theesfeld, Insa, 2017. "The land-water-food nexus: expanding the social-ecological system framework to link land and water governance," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 6(3), pages 1-16.
    3. Ramona Bunkus & Insa Theesfeld, 2018. "Land Grabbing in Europe? Socio-Cultural Externalities of Large-Scale Land Acquisitions in East Germany," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-21, August.
    4. Petrick, Martin & Wandel, Jürgen & Karsten, Katharina, 2013. "Rediscovering the Virgin Lands: Agricultural Investment and Rural Livelihoods in a Eurasian Frontier Area," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 164-179.
    5. Klümper, Frederike & Theesfeld, Insa & Herzfeld, Thomas, 2018. "Discrepancies between paper and practice in policy implementation: Tajikistan’s property rights and customary claims to land and water," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 75, pages 327-339.
    6. Liao, Chuan & Jung, Suhyun & Brown, Daniel G. & Agrawal, Arun, 2024. "Does land tenure change accelerate deforestation? A matching-based four-country comparison," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    7. Zegar, Józef S., 2012. "Gospodarstwa Rodzinne Wobec Wyzwań Wyżywienia I Ochrony Środowiska – Ujęcie Globalne," Village and Agriculture (Wieś i Rolnictwo), Polish Academy of Sciences (IRWiR PAN), Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development, vol. 4(157).
    8. Di Corato, Luca & Hess, Sebastian, 2013. "Farmland Investments in Africa: What’s the Deal?," Working Paper Series 2013:10, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department Economics.
    9. Daedlow, Katrin & Beckmann, Volker & Schlüter, Maja & Arlinghaus, Robert, 2013. "Explaining institutional persistence, adaptation, and transformation in East German recreational-fisheries governance after the German reunification in 1990," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 36-50.
    10. Lambini, Cosmas Kombat & Nguyen, Trung Thanh, 2014. "A comparative analysis of the effects of institutional property rights on forest livelihoods and forest conditions: Evidence from Ghana and Vietnam," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 178-190.
    11. Alexander M. Danzer & Robert Grundke, 2016. "Coerced Labor in the Cotton Sector: How Global Commodity Prices (Don't) Transmit to the Poor," CESifo Working Paper Series 5937, CESifo.
    12. Ernest Nkansah‐Dwamena & Hyunsoo Yoon, 2022. "Why is sub‐Saharan Africa an attractive destination to foreign land grabbers? Evidence from country characteristics," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(2), pages 280-292, June.
    13. Derek Byerlee & Klaus Deininger, 2013. "The Rise of Large Farms in Land-Abundant Countries: Do They Have a Future?," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Stein T. Holden & Keijiro Otsuka & Klaus Deininger (ed.), Land Tenure Reform in Asia and Africa, chapter 14, pages 333-353, Palgrave Macmillan.
    14. Bin Yang & Jun He, 2021. "Global Land Grabbing: A Critical Review of Case Studies across the World," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-19, March.
    15. Bunkus, Ramona & Theesfeld, Insa, 2018. "Land Grabbing In Europe?," 58th Annual Conference, Kiel, Germany, September 12-14, 2018 275859, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    16. Danzer, Alexander M. & Grundke, Robert, 2020. "Export price shocks and rural labor markets: The role of labor market distortions," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    17. Schleyer, Christian, 2010. "Institutional change and collective action: The case of reclamation systems in Northwest Poland," IAMO Forum 2010: Institutions in Transition – Challenges for New Modes of Governance 52706, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO).
    18. Khadjavi, Menusch & Sipangule, Kacana & Thiele, Rainer, 2016. "Social capital and large-scale agricultural investments: An experimental investigation in Zambia," Kiel Working Papers 2056, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    19. Renzaho, Andre M.N. & Kamara, Joseph K. & Toole, Michael, 2017. "Biofuel production and its impact on food security in low and middle income countries: Implications for the post-2015 sustainable development goals," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 503-516.
    20. Kerstin Nolte & Susanne Vaeth, 2013. "Interplay of Land Governance and Large-Scale Agricultural Investment: Evidence from Ghana and Kenya," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201350, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:zfwige:v:60:y:2016:i:1-2:p:81-96:n:4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.