Land reform in ethiopia pdf

As in other societies, access to land is vital for socialcultural sustainability, improved livelihoods and economic development. It champions a market systems approach which, is a first for a land reform programme on this scale. Dec 12, 2019 in china, land reform initially involved land to the tiller. Land reformskeeping a 21st century ethiopia in mind by. In content and implementation, ethiopias agrarian reform can be considered as a thorough and radical one. For example, although brazil, ecuador, and bolivia have landtenure problems that are seemingly similar, they have displayed substantial economic growth, as did the chilalo, shashamane, and asmara areas of ethiopia prior to the revolution. This article traces the antagonistic arguments of the two schools of thought in the land reform debate and how their antagonistic principles. Recommendations for reformi prepared for solidarity movement for a new ethiopia smne by peter j. The same logic of subsistence agriculture as in traditional tenures. Bodurtha, justin caron, jote chemeda, dinara shakhmetova, and long vo introduction and problem definition the challenges of land tenure in ethiopia are part of a complex policy problem that stem from failed. Almost all large holdings were seized by the national institute for agrarian reform inra, which dealt with all areas of agricultural policy. In china, land reform initially involved land to the tiller.

The concept of land reform has varied over time according to the range of functions which land itself has. Landrelated issues have taken centre stage in sociopolitical and economic discourse in postapartheid south africa. Ethiopia is one of the few countries in africa that has not made significant changes in its basic land policy since the radical land reform of 1975. Currently, of course, china is encouraging capitalist farming. Pdf land reform, distribution of land and institutions. Land reform in ethiopia, 19741977 volume 20 issue 3 marina ottaway. This evolution was brought to an abrupt end by the land reform of 1975 with nationalization. This innovative approach specifically addressess constraints that prevent. Land reform, a purposive change in the way in which agricultural land is held or owned, the methods of cultivation that are employed, or the relation of agriculture to the rest of the economy.

This book is the first fulllength study of the land reform and the resultant social changes in rural ethiopia. The most common form of land degradation in ethiopia is soil erosion by water. For land use, farmers are now taxed birr 10 for the first hectare and birr 7. Land tenure, land reform and the qalad system in ethiopia. A considerable volume of information has been produced since the mid1980s regarding soil erosion in ethiopia barbier 1989. Expropriation, valuation and payment of compensation is one component of land administration. In ethiopia, land is the common property of the state and the people, and, hence, is not subject to sale, exchange or mortgage. Tenants became own operators with use rights, but with no rights to sell, mortgage or exchange of land. Although the country achieved double digit economic growth in the last decade, absence of a comprehensive national land use policy and national land use plan affected allocation of land to its best use. To this end a landreform proclamation of 1975 transferred ownership of all land to the state and provided allotments of no more than 25 acres 10 hectares to individual peasants who. Ethiopia land policy and administration assessment xiii governments from pursuing land redistribution which on several occasions has stripped farmers of rights or reduced landholdings.

Attempts to modernize land ownership by giving title either to the peasants who till the soil, or to largescale farming programs, have been tried under imperial rulers like emperor haile selassie, and under marxist regimes like the derg, with mixed results. Land reforms are often justified on the basis of promoting equity, reducing poverty, securing the nutrition of landpoor households, correcting social injustices, and averting social unrest. But in the northern highlands, where communal ownership rist dominated and large holdings and tenancy were exceptions, many people resisted land reform. Land degradation is an important problem in ethiopia, with more than 85 % of the land degraded to various degrees. Ethiopians have a deep notion, rooted in their feelings and their minds, that land is everything. It also tries to analyze the factors that made land measurement and land reform complex and difficult during imperial ethiopia. As a one component the government should establish and strengthen an institution responsible for this component. Implications of land policies for the ruralurban linkages. Land policy, the real source of power in imperial and contemporary ethiopia. Reforms such as these may be proclaimed by a government, by interested groups, or by revolution. To this end a land reform proclamation of 1975 transferred ownership of all land to the state and provided allotments of no more than 25 acres 10 hectares to individual peasants who. Overall, however, the government has made only few substantive changes to the land rights held by. Current land policy issues in etkiopia food and agriculture.

The effects of land reforms on farm size and agricultural. In addition, there is a view in development economics arguing in favour of landreform programmes also on efficiency grounds. A comprehensive evaluation o f the impact and consequences of the land reform on rural ethiopia as a whole has yet to be made and in the meantime we hope this short study will serve to fill a gap. While the current ethiopian government has implemented a land policy that is based on state ownership of land where only usufruct rights are given to land holders, many agricultural economists and international donor agencies have propagated some form of privatized land ownership. Land tenure and common pool resources in rural ethiopia. Financed largely by the world bank, usaid, and other international development agencies, the programme was designed to record land and landholders in the east african country. Tax policy and land reform in the development of ethiopia. Thomson reuters foundation since the late 1990s, ethiopia has been implementing a national rural land registration program, the largest such legal reform in the world in recent times. A ceiling of 166 acres 67 hectares was established, and tenants were given ownership rights, though these rights are constrained by government production quotas and a. Land rights, holding rights, expropriation, largescale agricultural investment summary from time immemorial, land had been controlled by the elite kings and their trusted followers in ethiopia. The house of peoples representatives has enacted the controversial urban land proclamation no. Haile selassie presses ethiopian land reform the new.

The article examines the essential features and elements of land reform, land tenure and the qalad system land measurement in ethiopia. The 1978 income tax for rural land and agricultural activities was also amended in 1995 and 1997. Economic reforms and structural changes in ethiopia since. Land tenure in ethiopia continuity and change, shifting rulers, and the quest for state control. In tigray state, northern ethiopia, where the detailed research on which this paper is based has been centered, and in the. Land reform definition of land reform by merriamwebster. Land reform definition is measures designed to effect a more equitable distribution of agricultural land especially by governmental action. He has published widely on land reform, rural livelihoods and natural resources in southern africa. Africas land reform policies can boost agricultural.

Land reform and famine mengistu sought to transform ethiopia into a command state led by a disciplined and loyal party that would control all organs of authority. Land is an inalienable common property of the nations, nationalities and peoples of ethiopia. Taxes and tax reform in ethiopia, 19902003 unuwider. Some of the best material available for the highland plateau areas of ethiopia. Critical analysis of ethiopian urban land lease policy reform since early 1990s, 6825 zelalem yirga adamu usa fig congress 2014 engaging the challenges enhancing the relevance kuala lumpur, malaysia 1621 june 2014 424 critical government enacted the first and new urban leasehold proclamation that may be cited as the. But some supporting evidence and general discussions on the link between preand post reform land distributions are given.

Land tenancy policies of the late twentieth century 4. Even though the law is a federal law, the power of implementation through subsidiary legislation is. Land tenure, property rights, land markets, land policy, land reform, land titling contents 1. Click download or read online button to get tax policy and land reform in the development of ethiopia book now. The author, dessalegn rahmato, a research fellow at.

Pdf land reform, distribution of land and institutions in rural. For example, although brazil, ecuador, and bolivia have land tenure problems that are seemingly similar, they have displayed substantial economic growth, as did the chilalo, shashamane, and asmara areas of ethiopia prior to the revolution. Access to rural land in eastern ethiopia mismatch between policy and reality. Soil erosion is indeed considered the most significant environmental challenge to the food security of the population and future development prospects of the country wagayehu 2003. Today, over 15,000 rural malawian households own land as part of a community and each familys income has increased by 40 percent. Recent estimates using satellite imagery show that land degradation hotspots over the last three decades cover about 23 % of the land area in the country. Despite equal allocation of agricultural land among native farmers, the rural regions of ethiopia continued to suffer from income problems in the agrarian sector. Ethiopias agrarian reform can be consideredin content and implementation, ethiopias agrarian reform can be consideredas a thorough and radical one. Land reform was among the chief planks of the revolutionary platform of 1959. Lift is supporting the government of ethiopias efforts for rural land certification to drive investment and increase productive land use. Land policy in ethiopia, for example, is one area that needs revisiting as current land laws fail to provide incentives for developing land and increasing production of agricultural commodities.

It has been administered by the government since the 1975 radical land reform. Furthermore, the current scholarly literature on ethiopian land tenure is. Peasants, land reform and property right in ethiopia. Critical analysis of ethiopian urban land lease policy reform. The type of land reform that took place in ethiopia in 1975 is redistribution of land rights, by taking land from individual owners of large estates and giving it to landless, tenants and farm labourers warriner, the means by which social stability is maintaine1969. Agrarian reform in ethiopia was essential to improve the overall condition of the countrys agricultural sector.

As a matter of fact, the land redistribution that took place in seventies has resulted in an average land holding of 2 hectares. The new constitution of 1995 approved and confirmed the state ownership of land in ethiopia federal democratic republic of ethiopia 1995. Apr 21, 2010 agrarian reform in ethiopia was essential to improve the overall condition of the countrys agricultural sector. Tenant farmers in southern ethiopia, where the average tenancy was as high as 55 percent and rural elites exploited farmers, welcomed the land reform. In march 1975, the ethiopian ruling military council, or derg, proclaimed a sweeping land reform, which aimed at bringing about a complete transformation in the countrys complex land tenure system and in its social and political structures. Even with the certificates, land users may lose rights to use land under certain circumstances.

Ethiopian economic policy research institute, addis ababa, ethiopia. Critical analysis of ethiopian urban land lease policy. Haile selassie presses ethiopian land reform the new york times. Current land policy issues in ethiopia request pdf. His current research interests include rural development and agriculturenutrition linkages in ethiopia and. This site is like a library, use search box in the.

Tenant farmers in southern ethiopia welcomed the land reform, but in the northern highlands many people resisted land reform and perceived it as an attack on their rights to rist land. Collectivisation followed, and from 1978, in the household responsibility system, land ownership remained with the collective. In southern africa, tenure reform must address a range of problems arising from settler colonisation and dispossession. Ownership, equity, and liberty in land use rights daniel weldegebriel ambaye, ethiopia key words. The problem of land reform in ethiopia has hampered that countrys economic development throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. Land reform, distribution of land and institutions in rural ethiopia. In march 1975, the ethiopian ruling military council, or derg, proclaimed a sweeping land reform, which aimed at bringing about a complete transformation in the. Economics of land degradation and improvement in ethiopia. How land reforms have unfolded around the world the. But some supporting evidence and general discussions on the link between preand postreform land distributions are given. But in the northern highlands, where communal ownership rist dominated and large holdings and tenancy were.

The lowland peripheries were only slightly affected by the reforms. How land reforms have unfolded around the world the africa. Ethiopia, which historically has accommodated a large diversity of customary land. Land policy in ethiopia has been controversial since the fall of the military socialist derg regime in 1991. The reform brought to an end the exploitative type of relationship that existed between tenants and landlords. It accomplished its purpose, namely the elimination o f landlordism, quite speedily a remarkable achievement considering that at the time the reform was promulgated the new government had not yet firmly established its presence in the countryside. I consulted material from the center that deal with the subject of this article. Pdf there are two explicitly or implicitly and widely accepted beliefs about the distribution of land in ethiopia after the reform of 1975. Land reform may also involve changes in the tenure of the land.