Measuring agricultural land inequality: conceptual and methodological issues
Carlos Esteban Cabrera, Yeshwas Admasu, Ana Paula de la O Campos, Francesco Maria Pierri, Lorenzo Moncada
Agricultural land is crucial for household welfare in many developing countries, and its distribution is a key determinant of achieving inclusive economic growth and transformation. Traditionally, measures of agricultural land inequality have centered on farm size distribution, using information from agricultural census data. In this paper, we propose a new conceptual framework for measuring agricultural land inequality, along with a set of derived indicators. These account, beyond land area, for additional aspects of land quality and land rights, and also consider the landless population. Our proposal introduces a reliable, cross-country comparable set of indicators. Its aim is to monitor the evolution of land inequality and its connection to development outcomes by utilizing data from both living conditions household surveys and agricultural censuses. Using data from five sub-Saharan African countries, results indicate overall inequality has increased. Furthermore, accounting for land with secure tenure rights significantly increases land inequality.
Event: World Bank Land Conference 2024 - Washington
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