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A study of scarcity: assessing the availability and value of surplus land in Nigeria
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A study of scarcity: assessing the availability and value of surplus land in Nigeria

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  • Littleboy, Chris

Abstract

Estimates of available cropland help us to understand the ability of societies’ food production systems to meet food demand. This is an important topic in the study of sustainable agriculture due to rising populations and the increasing recognition of the impact of agriculture on the environment. This study proposes a new indicator for modelling land scarcity based on the value of potentially available cropland, building on previous area-based measures. The new indicator incorporates differences in the quality of land but is only possible to measure in contexts with georeferenced household survey data covering agricultural yields, prices, and production costs. I find that value-based measures and area-based measures of scarcity are only weakly correlated: some states have abundant land with low potential value, and other states have little available land of much higher value. I also find overall that land is very scarce in Nigeria: surplus land has an economic value of just $50 per hectare per year.

Suggested Citation

  • Littleboy, Chris, 2022. "A study of scarcity: assessing the availability and value of surplus land in Nigeria," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:113:y:2022:i:c:s0264837721006311
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105908
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