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Why do farmers expand their land into forests? Theories and evidence from Tanzania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2001

ARILD ANGELSEN ,
ERIC F. KATEMANSIMBA SHITINDI  and
JOSTEIN AARRESTAD
ARILD ANGELSEN
Affiliation:
Chr. Michelsen Institute, Fantoftvegen 38, N-5036 Fantoft, Norway Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), P.O. Box 6596, JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia. E-MAIL: A.ANGELSEN@CGIAR.ORG
ERIC F. KATEMANSIMBA SHITINDI
Affiliation:
Tanzania Civil Service, Department of Political Analysis and Research Unit, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
JOSTEIN AARRESTAD
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, University of Bergen, Fosswinckelsgt. 6, N-5007 Bergen, Norway. E-MAIL: jostein.aarrestad@econ.uib.no
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Abstract

This paper examines the causes of agricultural land expansion and deforestation in Tanzania. In the theoretical section, two different—and partly contradicting—sets of hypotheses are outlined. These are based on a subsistence approach, emphasising the food or income requirements of farm households, and a market approach, focussing on the relative profitability of agriculture. The statistical analysis shows that increased agricultural output prices, in particular for annual crops, is a major factor behind agricultural expansion. An increase of 1 per cent in output prices leads to about 1 per cent increase in agricultural area. Other factors such as input prices, technology and economic growth are tested and discussed, but the conclusions are less robust. The controversial role of population growth in explaining deforestation is addressed. Generally the results lend support to the market rather than the subsistence approach. JEL classification code: Q12, Q23, C23

Keywords

DeforestationagricultureTanzaniapanel data
Type
Research Article
Information
Environment and Development Economics , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , July 1999 , pp. 313 - 331
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

We are grateful to David Kaimowitz, Ottar Maestad, Kjell Vaage, participants at the Annual Conference of the Norwegian Association for Development Research 1996, three referees and the editor for constructive comments.