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How Institutions Shape Land Deals: The Role of Corruption

Author

Listed:
  • Matthias Bujko

    (University of Freiburg)

  • Christian Fischer

    (University of Freiburg)

  • Tim Krieger

    (University of Freiburg
    CESifo)

  • Daniel Meierrieks

    (University of Freiburg)

Abstract

Large-scale land acquisitions often take place in developing countries which are also known for their corruption-friendliness caused by weak institutional frameworks. We hypothesize that corruption indeed leads to more land deals. We argue that corrupt elites exploit poor institutional set-ups (characterized by corruption) to strike deals with domestic and international investors at the expense of local populations. Using panel data for 156 countries from 2000 to 2011, we provide evidence that large-scale land deals indeed occur more often in countries with higher levels of corruption. The estimated effects are also economically substantive and particularly relevant to economies with unsound institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Bujko & Christian Fischer & Tim Krieger & Daniel Meierrieks, 2016. "How Institutions Shape Land Deals: The Role of Corruption," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 205-217, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:homoec:v:33:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1007_s41412-016-0021-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s41412-016-0021-4
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    1. Toke S. Aidt, 2009. "Corruption, institutions, and economic development," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 25(2), pages 271-291, Summer.
    2. Rabah Arezki & Klaus Deininger & Harris Selod, 2015. "What Drives the Global "Land Rush"?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 207-233.
    3. Ward Anseeuw & Mathieu Boche & Thomas Breu & Markus Giger & Jann Lay & Peter Messerli & Kerstin Nolte, 2012. "Transnational land deals for agriculture in the global south," Post-Print hal-02875924, HAL.
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    6. Ward Anseeuw & Mathieu Boche & Thomas Breu & Markus Giger & Jann Lay & Peter Messerli & Kerstin Nolte, 2012. "Transnational land deals for agriculture in the global south," Post-Print hal-02875924, HAL.
    7. Rabah Arezki & Klaus Deininger & Harris Selod, 2015. "What Drives the Global "Land Rush"?," World Bank Economic Review, World Bank Group, vol. 29(2), pages 207-233.
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    Cited by:

    1. Deininger, Klaus & Xia, Fang, 2016. "Quantifying Spillover Effects from Large Land-based Investment: The Case of Mozambique," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 227-241.
    2. Tim Krieger & Daniel Meierrieks, 2016. "Land Grabbing and Ethnic Conflict," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 243-260, October.
    3. Diergarten, Yorck & Krieger, Tim, 2015. "A note on large-scale land acquisitions, commitment problems and international law," Discussion Paper Series 2015-02, University of Freiburg, Wilfried Guth Endowed Chair for Constitutional Political Economy and Competition Policy.
    4. Diergarten Yorck & Krieger Tim, 2015. "Large-Scale Land Acquisitions, Commitment Problems and International Law," The Law and Development Review, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 217-233, June.
    5. Hirsch, Cornelius & Krisztin, Tamás & See, Linda, 2020. "Water Resources as Determinants for Foreign Direct Investments in Land - A Gravity Analysis of Foreign Land Acquisitions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    6. Koroso, Nesru H. & Zevenbergen, Jaap A. & Lengoiboni, Monica, 2019. "Land institutions’ credibility: Analyzing the role of complementary institutions," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 553-564.
    7. Petrescu-Mag, Ruxandra Mălina & Petrescu, Dacinia Crina & Reti, Kinga-Olga, 2019. "My land is my food: Exploring social function of large land deals using food security–land deals relation in five Eastern European countries," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 729-741.
    8. Scoppola, M. & Raimondi, V., 2018. "Foreign Land Acquisitions and Environmental Regulations: does the Pollution-Haven Hypothesis hold?," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277098, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Krieger, Tim & Meierrieks, Daniel, 2014. "How to deal with international terrorism," Discussion Paper Series 2014-03, University of Freiburg, Wilfried Guth Endowed Chair for Constitutional Political Economy and Competition Policy.
    10. Tim Krieger & Martin Leroch, 2016. "The Political Economy of Land Grabbing," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 197-204, October.
    11. Deininger,Klaus W. & Xia,Fang & Mate,Aurelio & Payongayong,Ellen & Deininger,Klaus W. & Xia,Fang & Mate,Aurelio & Payongayong,Ellen, 2015. "Quantifying spillover effects from large farm establishments : the case of Mozambique," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7466, The World Bank.
    12. Cheo, Ambe Emmanuel & Adelhardt, Nora & Krieger, Tim & Berneiser, Jessica & Sanchez Santillano, Federico Alberto & Bingwa, Brendon & Suleiman, Nischa & Thiele, Patricia & Royes, Alvaro & Gudopp, Danie, 2022. "Agrivoltaics across the water-energy-food-nexus in Africa: Opportunities and challenges for rural communities in Mali," Discussion Paper Series 2022-03, University of Freiburg, Wilfried Guth Endowed Chair for Constitutional Political Economy and Competition Policy.
    13. Gianpaolo Rossini, 2017. "Land Grabbing: Last Ditch Effort of Colonialism? A Survey of a Few Contributions and a Couple of Suggestions," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 79-96, April.
    14. Atuoye, Kilian Nasung & Luginaah, Isaac & Hambati, Herbert & Campbell, Gwyn, 2021. "Who are the losers? Gendered-migration, climate change, and the impact of large scale land acquisitions on food security in coastal Tanzania," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    15. Ahlerup, Pelle & Tengstam, Sven, 2015. "Do the land-poor gain from agricultural investments? Empirical evidence from Zambia using panel data," Working Papers in Economics 624, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    16. Valentina Raimondi & Margherita Scoppola, 2022. "Foreign land acquisitions and environmental regulations: Does the pollution‐haven effect hold?," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 172-194, February.
    17. Felix Albrecht & Björn Frank & Simone Gobien & Maren Hartmann & Özcan Ihtiyar & Elina Khachatryan & Nataliya Kusa & Ahmed Rashad & Mohamed Ismail Sabry & Sondos Shaheen & Thomas Stöber, 2016. "The Powerful, the Powerless, and the Grabbing: Non-Nash Land Grabbing in the Lab," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 219-242, October.
    18. Antonis M. Koumpias & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Eduardo Sanz-Arcega, 2015. "Housing Bubbles and Zoning Corruption: Evidence from Greece and Spain," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1505, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Large-scale land acquisitions; Land grabbing; Foreign investments; Weak institutions; Corruption;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q34 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Natural Resources and Domestic and International Conflicts

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