Traditional Gambian Land Tenure and the Requirements of Agricultural Development

摘要

The purpose of the paper is to assess how the traditional Gambian tenure structure will constrain agricultural development efforts. After a brief discussion of the evolution of property rights in other parts of the world and the requirements of commercial agriculture the traditional tenure system of the Gambia is described. Next the ability of the traditional tenure forms to meet the requirements of a developing agriculture are systematically assessed. Finally alternative tenure strategies are presented and discussed.