Land, security of tenure and productivity in Ghana

In this chapter, we present findings about tenure security under indigenous tenure institutions in Ghana, and its effects on agricultural productivity. Following a brief overview of the study, we summarize the land legislation and indigenous tenure arrangements prevailing in the study regions, present some ofthe findings pertaining to land holdings and markets, and discuss security of and its relationship to credit, land improvements, and land productivity. The chapter ends with a summary of policy implications of the findings. The issue with which this study is concerned is one that preoccupies many scholars of agricultural development: To what extent does security of landholding rights influence long-term investment decisions of Ghanaian farmers and,ultimately, the productivity of their land To shed some light on this broad question, the study provides an analysis of the prevailing land tenure arrangements among selected farmers in Ghana. The information on which the analysis is based was obtained from representative samples of farmers in three areas inthe southern part of the country, representing coastal scrubland savanna, tropical rain forest and woodland savanna, respectively. These areas are also characterized by significant cultural diversity, especially in inheritance rules, giving a representative picture of the major indigenous land tenure practices in Ghana.

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