Emergence and evolution of property rights to land in the context of land abundance. The case of the Yambassa region (Cameroon).

摘要

This paper deals with the relationship between the dynamics of resource use and the emergence and evolution of rights to land in the Yambassa region of Cameroon. The Yambassa region, where the tropical forest and savannah meet, is characterized by a situation of land abundance and the presence of man-made forest thickets. Our work is based on a thorough study of the land and agro-economic situations in the zone. Three research orientations are privileged: (i) the roles played by the origins of the forest vegetation which developed around the first dwellings in the savannah and determined the original emergence and evolving schemes of ownership rights to these sectors of land; (ii) evolution of the agricultural dynamics characterized by the new stakes associated with appropriation of the unoccupied savannah land in response to the technical and economic evolution of the agricultural production system; and (iii) the emergence of a land market for the savannah although this land remains subject to still moderate land pressure compared to that affecting forest land.