The Impact of Land Privatization on Cooperation in Farm Labor in Kenya

Abstract

Establishing private property in land through registration and titling has been promoted in developing countries due to the anticipated benefits of private ownership in access to credit, productivity enhancing investments, and productivity gains. Evidence of such benefits is limited, however. In this paper, we examine a related question: What is the impact of privatization on cooperation in farm labor? Data collected in 2005 from Samburu District in Kenya is analyzed, comparing one community where land has been privatized to a second where land is communally held in a group ranch. It is hypothesized that households with title deeds are less likely to cooperate in farm labor than households without deeds. The hypothesis was confirmed, as the odds of cooperating in communal farm labor are 93.0% lower for households with deeds compared to those without. This effect has negative implications for collective action efforts in Siambu.