Can Accelerated Land Reform and The Increase in Hectares Planted Policy Tools Help Increase Employment Growth and Reduce Income Inequality?

Abstract

Can accelerated land reform and increase in hectares planted policy tools help increase employment growth and reduce income inequality? Evidence shows that as supply side policy interventions, increase in hectares (area) planted and accelerated land redistribution lead to an increase in the agricultural sector output growth, investment growth and employment growth, which in turn lower the Gini coefficient. Thus, there is also a strong socioeconomic case for the policy of accelerated land reform. Furthermore, the policy of land redistribution and an increase in hectares (area) planted are complementary policy tools for one another. A combination of these supply side policy tools exerts the desired effects on the agricultural sector output growth and employment growth, thus leading to a decline in the Gini coefficient.