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The land certification program and off-farm employment in Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Mintewab Bezabih
  • Andrea Mannberg
  • Eyerusalem Siba

Abstract

Land tenure security has long been touted as key to increased performance of the agricultural sector in developing countries. This paper utilizes household level panel data to analyse the impact of a land certification program on farmers� off-farm participation and activity choices in the Central Highlands 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 off-farm employment. However, the impact differs substantially between different types of off-farm activities. While land certification is associated with an increased probability of participation in non-agricultural activities requiring unskilled labor, it reduces the probability to engage in work on others� farms. In addition, the effect of the program depends on the size of landholdings. The differentials in the responsiveness of different off farm activities to both certification and farm size indicate the need to recognize the complex relationships between land tenure enhancing reform policies and the non agricultural sub-sector in rural areas. In light of similar previous studies, the major contributions of the paper are twofold: assessment of the effects of enhanced land tenure security on activities outside agriculture and the role of farm size in determining off-farm participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Mintewab Bezabih & Andrea Mannberg & Eyerusalem Siba, 2014. "The land certification program and off-farm employment in Ethiopia," GRI Working Papers 168, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    • Handle: RePEc:lsg:lsgwps:wp168
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    References listed on IDEAS

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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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