Work

The Profits of Power: Land Rights and Agricultural Investment in Ghana

Year: 2008

Type: article

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.

Source: Journal of Political Economy

DOI: 10.1086/595561

Authors: Markus Goldstein, Christopher Udry

Institutions: World Bank, Yale University

Language: English

Topic: Land Rights and Reforms

Subfield: Soil Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: green

Funders: Fulbright Program, National Science Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council