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Land Markets and Agricultural Land Use Efficiency and Sustainability: Evidence from East Africa

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  • Benin, Samuel
  • Place, Frank
  • Nkonya, Ephraim M.
  • Pender, John L.

Abstract

Land markets, including land sales and short-term land rentals, have an important role to play for efficient and sustainable land management and agricultural development, especially where markets for other factors of production are imperfect or missing. This study utilises data from the highlands of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda to examine the impact of land markets on various types of land investment and management practices, crop yield, and land quality. The results highlight the relative long-term versus short-term return to different types of investment and practices, where those with longer-term benefits such as trees, manuring, and composting are preferred on more tenure-secure plots, while those with immediate or season-to-season benefits such as drainage structures or chemical fertilizers are preferred on rented plots. The impact on agricultural productivity is mixed and context specific. Regarding land quality outcomes, there is reason to believe that plots traded on short-term markets in Kenya and Uganda tend to be of inferior quality, supporting the hypothesis of movement of land from households to those with higher capital/land ratios.

Suggested Citation

  • Benin, Samuel & Place, Frank & Nkonya, Ephraim M. & Pender, John L., 2006. "Land Markets and Agricultural Land Use Efficiency and Sustainability: Evidence from East Africa," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25645, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae06:25645
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.25645
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mbudzya, Joseph Jabu, 2017. "Effect Of Agricultural Land Rental Market Participation On Agricultural Income Of Small Scale Farmers In Kwale County, Kenya," Research Theses 276436, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    2. Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob & Mason, Nicole & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2016. "What Is Driving Farmland Rental Prices In Sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence From Malawi," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235819, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Songqing Jin & T. S. Jayne, 2013. "Land Rental Markets in Kenya: Implications for Efficiency, Equity, Household Income, and Poverty," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 89(2), pages 246-271.
    4. Kijima, Yoko & Tabetando, Rayner, 2020. "Efficiency and equity of rural land markets and the impact on income: Evidence in Kenya and Uganda from 2003 to 2015," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

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