This thesis is a collection of three essays, each of which analyses an economic institution in one or more developing countries. A careful analysis of institutions is crucial for the understanding of economic performance and for the design of effective policy measures. In the first essay, "On the Structure of Tenancy Contracts" I analyse the effect of crop and tenant characteristics on the form and on the length of tenancy contracts. Using a principal-agent model I show that highpowered incentives are used when, due to the characteristics of the crop, their benefit is high and/or when, due to the characteristics of the tenant, their cost is low. The theoretical predictions are consistent with the empirical evidence from a unique data set of 705 contracts. The purpose of the second essay, "Competing for Protection: Land Fragmentation and the Rise of Mafia in 19th Century Sicily", is to identify the conditions that fostered the development of the mafia. I argue that in the context of 19th century Sicily, land fragmentation was crucial for the rise of mafia. Using a menu-auction model I show that, by inducing landlords' competition for protection, land fragmentation increases the profits of mafia groups even if the assets in need of protection are unchanged. I show that the predictions of the theory are consistent with the available empirical evidence from a sample of 70 Sicilian villages. In the third essay, "Does Financial Reform Raise or Reduce Savings?", we analyse the effect of financial liberalisation on private savings in eight developing countries. To this purpose we construct an index which summarises the reform process and estimate an error correction model for savings. We find that the effect of financial reform on savings is ambiguous. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 1999. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

Practices of land use in Utah show need for community action aimed at more adequate utilization of land and water resources. Use of land for crop production in Utah is limited by topography, soil type, elevation, climate, and moisture. Because of limitations imposed, only a small portion of the land area may be used for cultivated farming. As a rule, large land holdings in Utah are not regularly tilled but are used as range for raising livestock.

Exurbanization is occurring where large tracts of land are being sold to developers. Typically these are ranches that are then divided into 40-acre parcels and sold by developers, avoiding subdivision regulations requiring paved streets, utilities and other amenities. The result is an unplanned subdivision with no infrastructure, and tax revenues that cannot offset the cost of providing it. Interviews with professional planners suggested there may be independent variables capable of predicting the amount of human disturbance in an exurban area: parcel size, full cash value, tenure, distance to paved roads, site-built housing, mobile homes, and presence of biological or riparian areas. A total of 7,465 acres (3,022 ha) of parcel disturbance were digitized in exurban Arivaca, acreage values were converted to a binary dependent variable and used in logistic regression analysis to test independent variables' predictive value. Four were statistically significant: parcel size, full cash value, mobile homes and site-built housing. Landscape fragmentation was also tested using the presence of the variable scoring highest in probability - site-built housing. Zones of influence with a negative ecological influence surrounded the homes - up to 5,055 acres (2,046 ha) were impacted. Interviews with an exemplary sample of residents regarding their land use ethic found all had very strong opinions on how their properties should be treated as well as undesirable land uses such as overgrazing, over-use of groundwater for short-term economic gain and use of off-road vehicles. An explanation of the small sample size of both planners and residents is warranted. Planners were limited to those working in Pima County government who had professional experience with the study area of Arivaca and were familiar with its particular situation. The number of Arivaca residents interviewed was intended to discern an exemplary group's opinions based on how large a parcel they owned, the various sizes being a typical cross-section of acreage in the study area. What these findings illustrate is (1) the difficulty of predicting human-induced disturbance, (2) land fragmentation is more than the actual areas of physical disturbance and (3) some residents are aware of impacts related to their activities, mitigating damage wherever possible.

<p>This study examines the relationship between land fragmentation and agricultural productivity in Vietnam, as well as the outcomes of land consolidation programs on productivity. Data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey 2004 and data on the land consolidation process was used for the regression analysis. The results show weak correlations between fragmentation and productivity. Land fragmentation seems to be positively correlated to productivity due to more use of fertilizers and labour input. The communes that have consolidated their land are more productive, but this seems to be explained by initial differences in productivity. Our results suggest that there are no immidiate gains in land consolidation.</p>

This study examines the relationship between land fragmentation and agricultural productivity in Vietnam, as well as the outcomes of land consolidation programs on productivity. Data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey 2004 and data on the land consolidation process was used for the regression analysis. The results show weak correlations between fragmentation and productivity. Land fragmentation seems to be positively correlated to productivity due to more use of fertilizers and labour input. The communes that have consolidated their land are more productive, but this seems to be explained by initial differences in productivity. Our results suggest that there are no immidiate gains in land consolidation.

Diese Doktorarbeit trägt durch eine Analyse der chinesischen Landgenossenschaften zum Verständnis von Politik und Prozessen im Ko-Management natürlicher Ressourcen bei. Im Mittelpunkt dieser Arbeit steht die Frage wie der lokale Kontext und Haushaltscharakteristika mit der Implementierung von Landgenossenschaften interagieren. Ich adressiere diese Frage in drei empirischen Forschungsartikeln. Im ersten Artikel untersuchen ich die Wirkung verschiedener lokaler Kontextvariablen in verschiedenen Dörfern auf den Anteil der Landflächen, der von einer Landgenossenschaft verwaltet wird. Es wird gezeigt, wenn lokale Eliten, wie Regierungsbeamte, Dorfkader oder gebildete Menschen, Genossenschaftsvorsitzende sind, ist der Anteil von Land, der an die Genossenschaft übertragen wird, deutlich größer. Im zweiten Artikel wenden ich uns der Haushaltsebene zu und untersuchen Bestimmungsfaktoren der Mitgliedschaft in einer Genossenschaft und die Auswirkungen der Mitgliedschaft auf die Allokation der verfügbaren Arbeitskraft. Ich stelle keinen allgemeinen Effekt von Genossenschaftsmitgliedschaft auf die Wahrscheinlichkeit der außerlandwirtschaftlichen Berufstätigkeit des Haushaltsvorstandes fest. Im dritten Artikel analysieren ich, wir den Zusammenhang zwischen Partizipation in Entscheidungsprozessen und Haushaltseinkommen aus Landgenossenschaften. Ich zeige, wohlhabendere Mitglieder und solche mit Mitgliedschaft in der kommunistischen Partei haben eine höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit an Entscheidungsprozessen teilzunehmen. Genossenschaftsmitglieder weniger von ihrer Mitgliedschaft profitieren, wenn sie nicht in Entscheidungsprozesse involviert sind. Zusammenfassend zeigt diese Dissertation, dass der lokale Kontext einen Unterschied in der Implementierung von Landgenossenschaften macht. Um die Genossenschaften zu fördern sollten politische Entscheidungsträger die Heterogenität der lokalen Bevölkerung. / This thesis contributes to the understanding of politics and processes in the co-management of natural resources through an analysis of Chinese land cooperatives. The focus of this work is the question of how local context and household characteristics interact with the implementation of land cooperatives. I address this question in three empirical research articles. In the first article, I examine the effect of different local context variables in different villages on the share of land area managed by a rural cooperative. It is shown that when local elites, such as government officials, village cadres or educated people, are co-operative chairmen, the proportion of land transferred to the cooperative is significantly larger. In the second article, I turn to the household level and examine determinants of membership in a cooperative and the impact of membership on the allocation of available labor. I do not state any general effect of cooperative membership on the probability of the head of household's non-agricultural employment. In the third article, I analyze the connection between participation in decision-making and household income from land cooperatives. I show that wealthier members and members of the Communist Party are more likely to participate in decision-making. Cooperative members benefit less from their membership if they are not involved in decision-making. In summary, this dissertation shows that the local context makes a difference in the implementation of land cooperatives. To encourage cooperatives, policy makers should consider the heterogeneity of the local population.

Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à l'étude des décisions des ménages ruraux Ougandais en termes de gestion des risques climatiques. Dans un premier temps, nous testons l'impact des transferts des fonds des migrants sur le niveau de spécialisation des cultures agricoles ainsi que le niveau de risque du portefeuille des cultures des ménages contraints par l'accès aux marchés du crédit et de l'assurance. Nous complétons cette première analyse avec une étude sur la capacité des transferts des migrants à encourager les ménages à utiliser des inputs plus risqués tels que les engrais. Dans un troisième temps, nous explorons si le morcellement des terres peut réduire les effets négatifs de la variabilité des précipitations sur les rendements des cultures agricoles. Le dernier objectif de cette thèse est d'analyser l'impact de l'inégalité d'accès à l'eau sur l'intensité et l'incidence des manifestations et des émeutes au sein d'un pays. Le point central et commun aux différents chapitres est la variabilité climatique : quelles sont les conséquences pour les ménages agricoles ; comment les ménages peuvent se protéger contre les aléas climatiques et quelles sont les implications pour la disponibilité de l'eau et les conflits. Telles sont les questions que la thèse vise à aborder à travers une approche micro-économétrique. / The dissertation provides evidence on the agricultural decisions of rural Ugandan households in terms of risk management against weather variability. First, I study the impact of remittances sent by migrants on households' degree of crop specialization and crop riskiness, as remittances may, to some extent, relieve credit and risk constraints. I complete the first objective with a second analysis that explores if remittances can motivate households to use riskier inputs - fertilizers. Third, I examine whether land fragmentation can reduce the negative impacts of rainfall variability on farmers' crop yields. In the final chapter, I test whether inequality in access to water for consumption may increase the incidence and the intensity of low-level conflicts. The central and common theme of the different chapters is weather variability: what are the consequences for agricultural households, how can households protect themselves against weather fluctuations and what are the implications for water availability and social conflict. Those are the questions that the dissertation aims at addressing with a micro-level empirical approach.

Esta tese investiga o estudo da (re) criação do campesinato em área de latifúndio a partir da fragmentação da terra por herança e doação em Rondonópolis/MT. Ela aborda as ações resultantes desse processo, e particularmente o significado desta conquista pelos sujeitos sociais. Rondonópolis é um município onde impera grandes latifúndios e uma enorme concentração fundiária, aliás, uma marca no território brasileiro. Nele está também presente, a expansão dos movimentos sociais no campo representados pelos assentamentos criados pelo Estado. A importância desta pesquisa deriva do processo de surgimento de áreas de fragmentação dos latifúndios que foram adquiridos por migrantes no auge da venda de terras pelo governo de Mato Grosso em meados do Século XX. As áreas pesquisadas têm como peculiaridade mais de quarenta e sete anos de história, pois estão nas mãos das mesmas famílias, passando de geração para geração. Este processo gerou paulatinamente, a transformação do latifúndio em pequenas propriedades. Nestes espaços os membros das famílias têm a preocupação em não deixar o patrimônio sair do domínio familiar. O estudo foi realizado nas localidades de Bananal, Beroaba, Belém, Aldeinha, Pequi, Núcleo Colonial de Naboreiro e Vila Bueno, no município de Rondonópolis-MT, e abrangeu cinco propriedades que se formaram pela junção de dez unidades através da compra e ou doação e que hoje estão divididas em sessenta e seis pequenas propriedades. Os resultados deste trabalho revelaram que a fragmentação tem seus benefícios, mas por outro lado, tem também suas conseqüências negativas, embora diferenciadas, do risco de formação de minifúndios. / This thesis research the (re)creation of peasant farming agriculture, in latifundium areas, through land fragmentation, by heritage and donation in Rondonópolis-MT. It analyze the actions resulting from this process, and emphasize the meaning of this conquer by the social actors. The importance of this work is based on the fact that Rondonópolis is a municipality with a great land area concentration, similar to great part of Brazilian territory. It also includes the expansion of social field movements, represented by many settlements created by the State. The importance of this research is related to the process of latifundium fragmentation, acquired by migrants in the peak of land selling by the government of Mato Grosso State in the middle of XX century. The researched areas have got a singular history aspect. More than 47 years has been kept in the same family ownership, from one to the next generation. This way, gradually have been changing from latifundium to small farming areas, therefore the family members are concerned about not to permit the properpty going out of family control. The study was carried out in the Rondonópolis municipality and in the Bananal, Beroaba, Belém, Aldeinha, Pequi, Nucleo Colonial de Naboreiro e Vila Bueno regions. It comprehends five properties that has been originated adding up (10) ten different areas through purchase and/or donation, otherwise now a days are divided in (66) sixty six small farming areas. The main results of this work have shown that the land fragmentation process has got their profits, but on the other hand can bring negative effects, although different. By the risk of minifundium formation.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-12T20:32:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RUBIA versao final 01-11.pdf: 2434032 bytes, checksum: 16018bc33b56706d4a4ea77c302abcf1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-09-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research aims to identify the real estate evolution in Joinville s region. It also has the objective of identifying the strategy for urban land fragmentation as an indicator of the regional development. To reach the proposed goals, a documentational research and a bibliography review were carried out to collect and register information, analyze and interpret data about the foundation and development of Joinville. A study of land fragmentation evolution in Joinville was carried out focusing on the number of estates produced in each studied period and the regions of highest estate concentration. Based on this information, it was inferred that industrialization was an important factor in the regional development due to its influence in the determination of which land could be fragmented. As a result, based on the data collected, strategic indicators for the land fragmentation were defined. These indicators can be inherent or determinant to the industrial development. These indicators include climate, soil, geographic position, local workforce characteristics, and the ease to commercialize the estate in smaller parts. / Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo identificar a evolução imobiliária na região de Joinville e a estratégia do parcelamento do solo urbano como indicador do desenvolvimento regional. Para alcançar os objetivos propostos, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa documental e uma revisão histórica bibliográfica, coletando e registrando informações, analisando e interpretando dados de como surgiu a cidade de Joinville e de que maneira se deu seu desenvolvimento. Num segundo momento, foi realizado um estudo sobre a evolução dos loteamentos na cidade de Joinville, buscando enfocar o número de lotes produzidos em cada período e foram estudadas as regiões de maior concentração destes lotes. Com base nestas informações, inferiu-se que a industrialização foi um fator importante no desenvolvimento regional devido à influência que exerceu na determinação das possíveis regiões de terra que poderiam ser parceladas. Como resultado, com base nos dados obtidos, foram definidos indicadores estratégicos inerentes ou determinantes do parcelamento do solo para o desenvolvimento industrial tais como: condições climáticas, de solo, posição geográfica, características da mão-de-obra local e a facilidade de comercialização das glebas em propriedades menores.

Esta tese investiga o estudo da (re) criação do campesinato em área de latifúndio a partir da fragmentação da terra por herança e doação em Rondonópolis/MT. Ela aborda as ações resultantes desse processo, e particularmente o significado desta conquista pelos sujeitos sociais. Rondonópolis é um município onde impera grandes latifúndios e uma enorme concentração fundiária, aliás, uma marca no território brasileiro. Nele está também presente, a expansão dos movimentos sociais no campo representados pelos assentamentos criados pelo Estado. A importância desta pesquisa deriva do processo de surgimento de áreas de fragmentação dos latifúndios que foram adquiridos por migrantes no auge da venda de terras pelo governo de Mato Grosso em meados do Século XX. As áreas pesquisadas têm como peculiaridade mais de quarenta e sete anos de história, pois estão nas mãos das mesmas famílias, passando de geração para geração. Este processo gerou paulatinamente, a transformação do latifúndio em pequenas propriedades. Nestes espaços os membros das famílias têm a preocupação em não deixar o patrimônio sair do domínio familiar. O estudo foi realizado nas localidades de Bananal, Beroaba, Belém, Aldeinha, Pequi, Núcleo Colonial de Naboreiro e Vila Bueno, no município de Rondonópolis-MT, e abrangeu cinco propriedades que se formaram pela junção de dez unidades através da compra e ou doação e que hoje estão divididas em sessenta e seis pequenas propriedades. Os resultados deste trabalho revelaram que a fragmentação tem seus benefícios, mas por outro lado, tem também suas conseqüências negativas, embora diferenciadas, do risco de formação de minifúndios. / This thesis research the (re)creation of peasant farming agriculture, in latifundium areas, through land fragmentation, by heritage and donation in Rondonópolis-MT. It analyze the actions resulting from this process, and emphasize the meaning of this conquer by the social actors. The importance of this work is based on the fact that Rondonópolis is a municipality with a great land area concentration, similar to great part of Brazilian territory. It also includes the expansion of social field movements, represented by many settlements created by the State. The importance of this research is related to the process of latifundium fragmentation, acquired by migrants in the peak of land selling by the government of Mato Grosso State in the middle of XX century. The researched areas have got a singular history aspect. More than 47 years has been kept in the same family ownership, from one to the next generation. This way, gradually have been changing from latifundium to small farming areas, therefore the family members are concerned about not to permit the properpty going out of family control. The study was carried out in the Rondonópolis municipality and in the Bananal, Beroaba, Belém, Aldeinha, Pequi, Nucleo Colonial de Naboreiro e Vila Bueno regions. It comprehends five properties that has been originated adding up (10) ten different areas through purchase and/or donation, otherwise now a days are divided in (66) sixty six small farming areas. The main results of this work have shown that the land fragmentation process has got their profits, but on the other hand can bring negative effects, although different. By the risk of minifundium formation.