Land Economics

Grimm, Michael.; Klasen, Stephan.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>We explore the role played by migration-induced population pressure for the endogenous adoption of formal land titles and subsequent investments in land in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Using original village- and household-level data we provide evidence that migration pressure increased the incentives to formalize landownership. The adoption of formal land rights was in turn associated with increased expenditures for agricultural inputs and investment in trees, terraces, ditches, and irrigation systems. We show that the availability of a demand-driven land titling system has been critical for increased agricultural intensification in this Indonesian setting.</p>

Grimm, Michael

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: We explore the role played by migration-induced population pressure for the endogenous adoption of formal land titles and subsequent investments in land in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Using original village- and household-level data we provide evidence that migration pressure increased the incentives to formalize landownership. The adoption of formal land rights was in turn associated with increased expenditures for agricultural inputs and investment in trees, terraces, ditches, and irrigation systems. We show that the availability of a demand-driven land titling system has been critical for increased agricultural intensification in this Indonesian setting.

Liu, Xiaoying

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: We examine the effect of the introduction of uniform water charging for aquifer management and provide evidence using a survey-based choice experiment of agricultural water users in rural Tunisia. Theoretically, we show that the implementation of the proposed second-best regulation would result both in efficiency gains and in distributional effects in favor of small landholders. Empirically, we find that resistance to the introduction of an effective water-charging regime is greatest among the largest landholders. Resistance to the regulation of common resources may be rooted in the manner in which heterogeneity might determine the distributional impact of different management regimes.

Liu, Xiaoying.; Swanson, Timothy M.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>We examine the effect of the introduction of uniform water charging for aquifer management and provide evidence using a survey-based choice experiment of agricultural water users in rural Tunisia. Theoretically, we show that the implementation of the proposed second-best regulation would result both in efficiency gains and in distributional effects in favor of small landholders. Empirically, we find that resistance to the introduction of an effective water-charging regime is greatest among the largest landholders. Resistance to the regulation of common resources may be rooted in the manner in which heterogeneity might determine the distributional impact of different management regimes.</p>

Promsopha, Gwendoline

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>We propose simple empirical insights to analyze the relationship between the value of the safety net embedded in land and households’ decision to sell land. Land sales may differ from other kinds of land transactions such as rental, free loans, and gifts in terms of future capacities to safeguard livelihood. Households well insured through nonland riskcoping mechanisms are expected to make use of sales more frequently than others. We test this hypothesis with 2006 survey data from Vietnam and find that selling households are less vulnerable, better educated, and richer than those that use other transfer types.</p>

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: We propose simple empirical insights to analyze the relationship between the value of the safety net embedded in land and households’ decision to sell land. Land sales may differ from other kinds of land transactions such as rental, free loans, and gifts in terms of future capacities to safeguard livelihood. Households well insured through nonland riskcoping mechanisms are expected to make use of sales more frequently than others. We test this hypothesis with 2006 survey data from Vietnam and find that selling households are less vulnerable, better educated, and richer than those that use other transfer types.

Twyman, Jennifer

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: This paper challenges standard analyses of gender differences in agriculture, which typically focus on the sex of household heads or land-holders, by considering who makes decisions on land owned by married women. We show that joint ownership and joint decision-making by couples is common in Ecuador but would be overlooked in studies focusing on only one farm manager. We also show that there are gender differences in perceptions about land ownership and agricultural decision-making, with men reporting lower levels of women’s participation compared to their wives’ report. Moreover, perceptions about the factors affecting women’s participation in agricultural decision-making also differ.

Twyman, Jennifer.; Deere, Carmen Diana.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>This paper challenges standard analyses of gender differences in agriculture, which typically focus on the sex of household heads or land-holders, by considering who makes decisions on land owned by married women. We show that joint ownership and joint decision-making by couples is common in Ecuador but would be overlooked in studies focusing on only one farm manager. We also show that there are gender differences in perceptions about land ownership and agricultural decision-making, with men reporting lower levels of women’s participation compared to their wives’ report. Moreover, perceptions about the factors affecting women’s participation in agricultural decision-making also differ.</p>

Delacote, Philippe, --; Angelsen, Arild.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>Policies to reduce deforestation and forest degradation focus on limiting agricultural expansion and nonsustainable (and often illegal) harvesting of forest products. The feedbacks between these two policy instruments are rarely discussed. A simple agricultural household model assesses the impact of a payment for environmental services on both deforestation and harvesting, and the impact of increasing the control on illegal harvesting on deforestation. When land and labor are substitutes, both policies have positive feedbacks and win-win potential. Conversely, when production factors are complements, they have negative feedbacks. A novel result is that the production factors can become substitutes if distance costs are high, making a win-win situation more likely.</p>

Delacote, Philippe, --

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: Policies to reduce deforestation and forest degradation focus on limiting agricultural expansion and nonsustainable (and often illegal) harvesting of forest products. The feedbacks between these two policy instruments are rarely discussed. A simple agricultural household model assesses the impact of a payment for environmental services on both deforestation and harvesting, and the impact of increasing the control on illegal harvesting on deforestation. When land and labor are substitutes, both policies have positive feedbacks and win-win potential. Conversely, when production factors are complements, they have negative feedbacks. A novel result is that the production factors can become substitutes if distance costs are high, making a win-win situation more likely.

Brooks, Chris, --; Ward, C. W. R. -- (Charles W. R.)

2015 Land Economics

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<p>In this paper we determine whether speculative bubbles in one region in the United States can lead bubbles to form in others. We first apply a regime-switching model to determine whether speculative bubbles existed in the U.S. regional residential real estate markets. Our findings suggest that the housing markets in five of the nine census divisions investigated were characterized by speculative bubbles. We then examine the extent to which bubbles spill over between neighboring and more distant regions, finding that the transmission of speculative bubbles and nonfundamentals between regions is multidirectional and does not depend on contiguity or distance.</p>

Brooks, Chris, --

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: In this paper we determine whether speculative bubbles in one region in the United States can lead bubbles to form in others. We first apply a regime-switching model to determine whether speculative bubbles existed in the U.S. regional residential real estate markets. Our findings suggest that the housing markets in five of the nine census divisions investigated were characterized by speculative bubbles. We then examine the extent to which bubbles spill over between neighboring and more distant regions, finding that the transmission of speculative bubbles and nonfundamentals between regions is multidirectional and does not depend on contiguity or distance.

Ch'oe, Ki-wŏn, --

2015 Land Economics

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ABSTRACT: This paper studies the effects of switching from a capital property tax to a land value tax, using an urban computable general equilibrium model calibrated to the features of the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Our model differs from prior simulation studies in that we assume that residents own a fixed amount of land rather than assuming an absentee landowner, we consider three income groups rather than just one, we consider cases in which housing capital is not completely mobile, and we allow for a labor-leisure choice.

Ch'oe, Ki-wŏn, --; Sjoquist, David L.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>This paper studies the effects of switching from a capital property tax to a land value tax, using an urban computable general equilibrium model calibrated to the features of the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Our model differs from prior simulation studies in that we assume that residents own a fixed amount of land rather than assuming an absentee landowner, we consider three income groups rather than just one, we consider cases in which housing capital is not completely mobile, and we allow for a labor-leisure choice.</p>

Desvousges, William H.; Train, Kenneth.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>For a contingent valuation (CV) study of a bundle of water quality improvements, this paper tests whether the sum of the estimated willingness to pay (WTP) for each individual part of the package, evaluated incrementally, equals the estimated WTP for the entire bundle—as implied by standard utility theory. This is the first application of the adding-up test using incremental parts and Carson and Groves’s (2007) procedures to induce truthful respondents’ answers. The test is failed, which implies that either the CV method did not elicit truthful answers or that respondents’ true preferences are inconsistent with standard utility theory.</p>

Desvousges, William H.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: For a contingent valuation (CV) study of a bundle of water quality improvements, this paper tests whether the sum of the estimated willingness to pay (WTP) for each individual part of the package, evaluated incrementally, equals the estimated WTP for the entire bundle—as implied by standard utility theory. This is the first application of the adding-up test using incremental parts and Carson and Groves’s (2007) procedures to induce truthful respondents’ answers. The test is failed, which implies that either the CV method did not elicit truthful answers or that respondents’ true preferences are inconsistent with standard utility theory.

Brorsen, B. Wade -- (Barton Wade), --; Doye, Damona G.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>Per acre prices of agricultural land increase as parcel sizes decrease. The puzzle is why all agricultural land is not sold in small parcels. Small parcels tend to be close to residential areas and close to quality roads. The small parcel premium lessens as parcels are more distant from urban areas. This suggests that much of the small parcel premium is due to parcels being purchased based on nonagricultural use values. Thus, an explanation of the small parcel premium puzzle is that land with low nonagricultural use values may not have a small parcel premium.</p>

Brorsen, B. Wade -- (Barton Wade), --

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: Per acre prices of agricultural land increase as parcel sizes decrease. The puzzle is why all agricultural land is not sold in small parcels. Small parcels tend to be close to residential areas and close to quality roads. The small parcel premium lessens as parcels are more distant from urban areas. This suggests that much of the small parcel premium is due to parcels being purchased based on nonagricultural use values. Thus, an explanation of the small parcel premium puzzle is that land with low nonagricultural use values may not have a small parcel premium.

Nunes, Luís Catela.; Otrachshenko, Vladimir.

2015 Land Economics

doi:

<p>We propose a latent-class model (LCM) to analyze contingent-valuation surveys incorporating attitudinal questions capturing protest reasons to identify classes of respondents with similar preferences and attitudes. In contrast to a standard LCM, our model ensures that classes are not contaminated by different types of response biases. Using data regarding the preservation of a world-heritage recreation site, low- and high-protester classes are identified. The difference in estimated willingness to pay (WTP) in these classes is €26, reflecting protest issues. If response biases were ignored, different classes would be identified and the corresponding difference in WTPs would be inflated by 130%.</p>

Nunes, Luís Catela

2015 Land Economics

doi:

ABSTRACT: We propose a latent-class model (LCM) to analyze contingent-valuation surveys incorporating attitudinal questions capturing protest reasons to identify classes of respondents with similar preferences and attitudes. In contrast to a standard LCM, our model ensures that classes are not contaminated by different types of response biases. Using data regarding the preservation of a world-heritage recreation site, low- and high-protester classes are identified. The difference in estimated willingness to pay (WTP) in these classes is €26, reflecting protest issues. If response biases were ignored, different classes would be identified and the corresponding difference in WTPs would be inflated by 130%.