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The Land Certification Program and Off-Farm Employment in Ethiopia

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  • Ayele, Mintewab Bezabih
  • Siba, Eyerusalem

Abstract

Strong property rights have long been touted as key to increased performance of the rural economy in developing countries. Indeed, in an overwhelmingly agrarian economy like Ethiopia, with state ownership of land, increased land tenure security of individual farmers is expected to play a significant role in factor allocation within and beyond the agricultural sector. This paper analyses the impact of a land certification program on farmers’ off-farm participation, based on household-level panel data collected in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Identification of the program’s impact relies on the sequential nature of its implementation and application of the Difference-in-Differences strategy. Our results suggest that certification is a significant determinant of participation in major off-farm employment activities. The program’s effect is not shown to depend on size of landholdings.

Suggested Citation

  • Ayele, Mintewab Bezabih & Siba, Eyerusalem, 2017. "The Land Certification Program and Off-Farm Employment in Ethiopia," EfD Discussion Paper 17-2, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2017_002
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    Cited by:

    1. Dan Li & Wenjing Zhong & Yitao Chen, 2022. "The Role of Farmland Titling in Urban Agricultural Resilience: Evidence from Metropolitan Guangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Ayalew, H., 2018. "Is tenure Security Pro-poor? Decomposing Welfare Effects," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277532, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. World Bank, 2017. "Ethiopia Country Environmental Analysis," World Bank Publications - Reports 33947, The World Bank Group.
    4. Ghebru, Hosaena & Koru, Bethlehem & Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum, 2016. "Household perception and demand for better protection of land rights in Ethiopia:," ESSP working papers 83, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Ayalew, Hailemariam & Admasu, Yeshwas & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2021. "Is land certification pro-poor? Evidence from Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    6. Salvatore Di Falco & Jérémy Laurent‐Lucchetti & Marcella Veronesi & Gunnar Kohlin, 2020. "Property Rights, Land Disputes and Water Scarcity: Empirical Evidence from Ethiopia," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 54-71, January.
    7. Kemeze, Francis H., 2020. "Demand for Supplemental Irrigation via Small-Scale Water Harvesting," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304569, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    off-farm employment; land certification; farm size; Ethiopia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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