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Tenure security, human capital and soil conservation in an overlapping generation rural economy

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  • Eskander, Shaikh M.S.U.
  • Barbier, Edward B.

Abstract

We develop an overlapping generation model of rural agricultural households to examine whether tenure security and subsistence needs influence the choice between unexploited topsoil and investment in children's human capital as the mode of transfer of wealth. A unique dataset from Bangladesh finds that tenure security is associated with greater topsoil conservation and lower human capital investment. Therefore, there exists a tradeoff between these two modes of transfer. We suggest that increased public expenditure on schooling, which substitutes private expenditure, may lower the pressure on land and soil resources.

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  • Eskander, Shaikh M.S.U. & Barbier, Edward B., 2017. "Tenure security, human capital and soil conservation in an overlapping generation rural economy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 69196, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:69196
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human capital; Soil conservation; Tenure security;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • F3 - International Economics - - International Finance
    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance

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