Khadjavi Pour, M., Sipangule, K. and Thiele, R. (2021). Social Capital and Large-Scale Agricultural Investments: An Experimental Investigation Economic Journal, :.
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Affiliated author
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Publication year2021
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JournalEconomic Journal
Following the 2007–8 global food crisis, agricultural producers have invested in large tracts of land in developing countries. We investigate how the arrival of large-scale farms changes inter-personal trust and reciprocity, important components of social capital, in traditional villages. We elicit trust and reciprocal behaviour in villages that lie near large-scale farms and compare them with villages at a distance. Our data reveal greater trust in villages close to large-scale farms. Reciprocity is more frequent after farm employment. These results are likely driven by communal coping and reputation building. A natural field measure shows that trust correlates with public good sharing.