The effects of land tenure on vulnerability to droughts in Northeastern Brazil

This article presents evidence on two distinct farming systems—one that utilizes common property pasturelands and another based on private pasturelands—in the Brazilian semi-arid zone. The research is based on a survey carried out in the state of Bahia in 2002. A bivariate analysis was carried out to compare agricultural outputs and income generated in each system. Data suggest that there are no significant differences between the two groups concerning income generation. However, farmers using common pasturelands have more diversified systems and invest more on small-animal husbandry, which are adapted to the dry environment. As a consequence, families that use common pasturelands have a higher consumption of animal protein. These families are thus not necessarily more vulnerable to droughts than those with private pasturelands. Formulating effective institutions to control access to the commons is a strategy pursued by some communities, yet, their ecological sustainability is still unknown.