Abstract
Contemporary discourse on land in Africa suggest that customary or 'communal' tenure is the only check against freehold market-induced landlessness among the poor in the African countryside, and that 'pro-poor' land policy should therefore strengthen customary rights to land. This article draws on a growing body of evidence on the emergence of vernacular rural land sales and rental markets to question assumptions that underlie the non-market 'ideal type' communal tenure model that has historically dominated policy thinking in Africa. It argues that recognition of the specific characteristics of 'vernacular land markets'- market-based transfers of land under customary tenure - is essential if state land policies are to succeed in promoting the interests of the poor.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 385-414 |
Number of pages | 29 |
Journal | Forum for Development Studies |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2005 |
Keywords
- Africa
- Land reform
- Markets
- Poverty
Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms
- Global Development Institute