The Food (In)Security Impact of Land Redistribution in South Africa: Microeconometric Evidence from National Data

The South African land-reform program has been widely criticized for its slow pace as well as its apparent lack of contribution to poverty reduction. No econometric evidence of the impact of land transfers has been provided to date and this paper attempts to fill this gap by considering the impact of receiving a land grant on households’ food insecurity. Propensity score matching and univariate probit estimates using two national household surveys indicate that, on average, land grant recipients are more food insecure than comparable non-participants. Recursive bivariate probit estimates suggest that selection bias is not driving this result.     

Inequality in South Africa: The distribution of income,expenditure and earnings

This article empirically analyses the state of inequality in South Africa. International comparisons show South Africa to be among the most unequal countries in the world. The levels of income inequality and earnings inequality are analysed with a range of measures and methods. The results quantify the extremely high level of inequality in South Africa. Earnings inequality appears to be falling in recent years, with relative losses in the upper-middle parts of the earnings distribution. Decomposing income inequality by factor source reveals the importance of earnings in accounting for overall income inequality. The article concludes by observing that, internationally, significant sustained decreases in inequality rarely come about without policies aimed at achieving that, and suggests that strong policy interventions would be needed to reduce inequality in South Africa to levels that are in the range typically found internationally.     

Gendered Realities: Exploring Property Ownership and Tenancy Relationships in Urban India

Gender is emerging as a central analytical construct in exploring landed property ownership and tenancy relationships in India. This article explores the nature of land tenure and landed property rights in slums in India from a gender perspective. The author raises key issues that need consideration in developing a gendered vision of urban land rights, tenure, and reform by documenting some of the central findings of her field research conducted in slums in Ahmedabad, India, in collaboration with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). In each case, the author also draws out policy recommendations for redressing discrepancies in women’s ownership of urban land and housing.     

集体林权流转制度改革:历程回顾、核心议题与路径选择

改革开放以来,我国集体林权流转制度改革经历了林业三定时期、两次集体林改过渡时期和新一轮集体林改时期。研究结果显示:集体林权流转是集体经济组织和林农流出的过程,流入方注入新的生产要素与经营理念,集体林经营的资本密集度渐增;集体林权流转主体不断增多,每个时期都有主要的集体林权流转参与主体,且从单向流转向多向流转转变;政府部门从禁止集体林权流转转向鼓励和支持集体林权流转,林地收益是集体林权流转的保障,多异质性主体和林农非林就业机会增多是集体林权流转的必要条件;集体林权流转从木质产权交易演化到木质与非木质并重的产权交易,生态价值得以体现。在可以预见的未来,小农和村集体将继续向新型经营主体和工商资本等流转集体林权。为实现集体林权有序流转和保障各方利益,有必要进一步强化集体林确权工作,完善集体林权流转平台建设,规范政府行为,完善政策法规,明确生态公益林等林业区划原则,完善利益联结机制。     

完善我国农村土地产权制度的几点思考

农村土地产权制度作为农村土地制度的核心,其完善与否直接关系到农村土地资源和农业生产要素的合理配置。由于法律规定的不合理、行政权的滥用和理论上的匮乏,我国现行的农村土地产权制度不合理。建议明确界定农村土地所有权主体范围,赋予农村土地所有者法人资格;规范农村土地产权的界区,建立合理的土地产权结构;明确土地承包合同的性质;健全土地流转机制,以完善农村土地产权制度。