Migration and rural differentiation

The aim of this study is to estimate the influence of migration upon economic differentiation. For a change the study does not focus on urban migration. It is argued that the dichotomous contrast between the ideal types of 'rural' and 'urban' is illusory since it tends to assume the mutual exclusion of the two environments. The dynamic nature of the interactions between rural migrants and their place of origin is conditioned by the operation of the network of kinship and friendship relations. It is asserted here that actual participation by individuals and families in these network relations depends on considerations of socio-economic status of the members of a dyad. It is hypothesized, therefore, that kinship relations are undergoing a transformation in which their affective orientation is being replaced by an instrumental orientation. It is further suggested that this trend is positively correlated with the developments in economic differentiation

institutional framework of in action against land degradation

While econometric and spatial data are increasingly helpful to quantify and locate the extent and costs of land degradation, there is still little understanding of the contextual factors that determine or influence the land users' practices that aggravate or counteract land degradation. In this chapter, we take an institutional economic approach to analyse the persistence of degrading practices, the low adoption of sustainable land management (SLM), or the eventual organisational reaction to land degradation. The chapter reviews four examples of land degradation in different contexts to reveal the multiple driving forces and contextual factors. We then propose a conceptual framework to better understand the incentive structure and factors determining the land users' decision making. A layered analysis of the social phenomena is applied, following Williamson (2000). The chapter shows how actions at different layers can help improve land management. The chapter concludes with practical recommendations for the institutional economic analysis of land degradation

The Economic Effects of Land Registration on Smallholder Farms in Kenya: Evidence from Nyeri and Kakamega Districts

Effects of land registration and title on security of tenure, use of formal credit, crop yields, and land concentration are analyzed from household and plot data in four Kenyan sites. Results indicate that the registration and titling program had a weak impact on perceived land rights of farmers, credit use and terms, crop yields, or concentration of land holdings. The conclusion is that titles are acquired for enhancing security of rights rather than for increasing agricultural production. Scarce government resources are best targeted towards providing better infrastructure and market opportunities, which should also foster a greater demand for titling.