Land Reform – Linking Land Reform – Linking Research to Better Research to Better Outcomes Outcomes Mwangi wa Gĩthĩnji University of Massachusetts-Amherst The Changing Global Landscape in Rural Development International Conference University of Pretoria – Post Graduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development Farm Inn, November 25, 2010
Transcript
Slide 1
Land Reform Linking Research to Better Outcomes Mwangi wa G th
nji University of Massachusetts-Amherst The Changing Global
Landscape in Rural Development International Conference University
of Pretoria Post Graduate School of Agriculture and Rural
Development Farm Inn, November 25, 2010
Slide 2
Why Land Reform? Land Tenure Systems Land Redistribution
Political Question Land to the Tiller Development Question Equity
and Growth
Slide 3
Understanding African Economies, Structural Transformation and
the Need for Redistributive Land Reform Formal Sector Export
Enclave Economies Colonial inheritance Mining Commercial
Agriculture Services and Public Adminstration Higher Productivity
Higher incomes Relatively Capital Intense Reserve Labour Sectors
Small / Subsistence Agriculture Informal Sector Low Productivity
Low income Improvements in Health /Nutrition resulting in increased
population growth rates Failure of Formal Sector to absorb new
entrants leads to increased supply of labour in small holder
agriculture and informal sector. Depresses labour incomes there and
holds down formal wage incomes. Growth translates into higher
profits.
Slide 4
A Typical African Economy Assume Country has labour force of 10
Million 70% in agriculture 20% in informal 10% in formal Assume
growth with zero productivity growth 2% increase in Labour force No
unemployment
Slide 5
Impact of 6% growth with no Labour Productivity increases
Slide 6
Impact of 6% growth with 0.55* Employment elasticity of Growth
Average of South Africa and Kenya Roughly 30% marginal productivity
change
Slide 7
Implications of Low Employment Creation Growth Alone in the
African context will not lead in the short to medium term to
decreases in the reserve pool of labour Reserve labour will
suppress labour incomes increasing income inequality (wage vs
profit share) further increases in inequality Policy must attack
reserve labour at its source plus improve employment creation. Land
Redistribution and Agricultural Transformation Industrialization
Virtuous Cycle of Demand Driven Development Policy must attack
reserve labour at its source plus improve employment creation. Land
Redistribution and Agricultural Transformation Industrialization
Virtuous Cycle of Demand Driven Development
Slide 8
Land Reform Historical Conditions of Success Clarity of Aim
Creating New Small Holder Commercial Farmers Literacy Business
Training Extension /Mentoring Youth and Women Success of mentors
because they are multidiscplinary Reasonable Cost to New Farmers /
Requires Some Confistication Rural Infrastructure Labour Intensive
Owned by rural population / wealth creation Price Incentives to
shift Production Research sensitive to whom new farmers are
products they produce On farm trials Understanding Of Global
Conditions Competitors /Trends and Markets WTO Institutional
Innovation
Slide 9
Institutional Innovation- The KTDA Story Learning from our
successes KTDA began as single development organization designed to
reap returns to scale for small scale farmer and specifically
designed to develop tea industry. Made Kenya top exporter of black
tea based on small holder production Political Commitment of
government Why? Rural Middle class Relatively equal regional
distribution compared to other crops Flexibility of Institution
From Single Tea Development Authority to Farmer Owned Private
Company that manages all Smallholder tea factories Tea Research
Institute and Tea Board (regulatory authority) Returns to Scale and
Lower Costs fall in unit costs of production kshs. 4000 in 1965 to
226 in 1988 in 1975 prices Low fertilizer prices 15% below Learning
across factories/ Continous Learning /Extension /Expanding Tea
Production Central purchase allows for easier credit provision
Slide 10
Connecting Research and Better Outcomes Defining the Debate
Structural Transformation not just rural development Defining a
National and Regional Research Program A New Approach to Funding
Needs Assessment Research Constituencies Government Rural
Households Agricultural Industry Collaborative National Research
Program Field Research
Slide 11
Issues with Second Stream of Funding Applied Research that is
Policy Driven receives same credit as journal driven research
Restructure Faculty time to value Applied Research New Questions
Institutional Innovation Human Capital for Trade/ Flexibility
Appropriate Technological Innovation World Trade Organization Trade
and Law Reassessing Microfinance