4. Technology and Globalization: Modern-Era Constraints on Local Initiatives for Land Reform

Abstract

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous agency engaging in multidisciplinary research on the social dimensions of contemporary problems affecting development. Its work is guided by the conviction that, for effective development policies to be formulated, an understanding of the social and political context is crucial. The Institute attempts to provide governments, development agencies, grassroots organizations and scholars with a better understanding of how development policies and processes of economic, social and environmental change affect different social groups. Working through an extensive network of national research centres, UNRISD aims to promote original research and strengthen research capacity in developing countries.

Poverty and the Distribution of Land

“…That is, land redistribution can occur only if it is possible to pay large landowners the full market price for their land. The likely implication is that the beneficiaries of the reform -tenants and the landlesswould be required to pay the full or nearly full market price for the land they 22 For a discussion of 'external' factors and their implications for land reform, see Dorner (1999). receive and hence they would receive little or no subsidy. The reason for this is that unless the land redistribution programme is very small, the financial cost to the government of a 'market friendly', full compensation land reform is bound to be onerous and the government is likely to feel compelled to shift as much of the financial burden as possible on to the beneficiaries.…”

State–Society Relations in Land Reform Implementation in the Philippines

“…Among agrarian studies scholars, there is an emerging consensus that land reform is more difficult to implement in the context of a neoliberal setting (see, for example, Dorner, 1999). This consensus builds on a persistent policy dilemma: significant structural and institutional changes are often considered to be prerequisites for land reform implementation, but how are such changes to be achieved if not through land reform?…”

Community-based land reform: Lessons from Scotland

“…Bryden, 1994) by government and nongovernment managers. This drive to decentralize control of resources of every description stems in part from reactions to globalization (Griffin, 1999;Dorner, 1999), from normative views that ''local is better'' (Pimbert and Pretty, 1997;Western and Pearl, 1989), and those who see political advantage in identifying with ''local'' (Barrett et al, 2001;Wittman and Geisler, 2005). Yet the florescence of interest in local has not pervaded the core thinking of land reformers.…”