Land Rental Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa: Institutional Change in Customary Tenure

Data show that rental markets for agricultural land held under customary forms of tenure in sub-Saharan Africa are often constrained, despite potential benefits for many households. The notion that conditions necessary for land rental will emerge in response to increasing population pressure and better prospects in farming is questioned. Attention is focused on the 'supply' of institutional change and on interest groups opposed to changes in customary tenure. The implication is that farmer support programs are unlikely to realize their full potential unless they are accompanied by strategies designed to make endogenous changes in customary tenure more predictable.