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Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

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Proceed<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 12th Annual Conference © 2011 IAABD<br />

factors <strong>of</strong> production. In his landmark book The Wealth <strong>of</strong> nations Adam Smith uses <strong>the</strong> absolute<br />

advantage <strong>the</strong>ory to expla<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> factors <strong>of</strong> production and argues that countries differ <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>ir ability to produce goods efficiently. The obvious and easy to understand examples <strong>of</strong> factors Smith<br />

uses to illustrate absolute advantage are all about natural resource endowments like favorable climate and<br />

good soils.<br />

Build<strong>in</strong>g on Smith’s absolute advantage <strong>the</strong>ory, David Ricardo uses comparative advantage argument to<br />

show <strong>the</strong> benefits <strong>of</strong> labor productivity, suggest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> benefits associated with a country specializ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> those goods that it produces most efficiently. Hecksher-Ohl<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ory emphasizes that<br />

countries differ <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> type and quantity <strong>of</strong> production factors that <strong>the</strong>y possess. The term factor<br />

endowments refers to <strong>the</strong> extent to which a country is endowed with such resources as land, labor and<br />

capital. Us<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> national competitive advantage Michael Porter (1980), expla<strong>in</strong>s why certa<strong>in</strong><br />

nations achieve <strong>in</strong>ternational success <strong>in</strong> particular <strong>in</strong>dustries. Porter acknowledges <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong><br />

factor endowments, but goes on to po<strong>in</strong>t out <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r country factors. While factor <strong>the</strong>ory<br />

affirms <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> production factors it is silent on ownership. We make a contribution to <strong>the</strong><br />

discourse on resource ownership and allocation through a study <strong>of</strong> two models <strong>of</strong> land allocation that are<br />

part <strong>of</strong> Zimbabwe’s history.<br />

Zimbabwe Background<br />

Zimbabwe’s economy is agro-based, rely<strong>in</strong>g heavily natural endowments like climatic conditions and<br />

type <strong>of</strong> land and historical <strong>in</strong>fluences to grow crops such as tobacco, cotton and sugar cane, and on related<br />

manufactur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustries such as textiles and food process<strong>in</strong>g. M<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g is also a major activity. A detailed<br />

narrative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> colonial, liberation and public policy history <strong>of</strong> Zimbabwe is beyond <strong>the</strong> scope <strong>of</strong> this<br />

paper. We <strong>in</strong>clude those country facts and historical events that lay <strong>the</strong> foundation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> land distribution<br />

models <strong>in</strong> this study.<br />

Zimbabwe is a Sou<strong>the</strong>rn African country located between South Africa and Zambia. It is a landlocked<br />

country with a total surface area <strong>of</strong> 390 580 square kilometres, 385 670 sq. kilometres is land and 3 910<br />

square kilometres is water. It is situated between 15 and 22° south latitude and 26 and 34° east longitude.<br />

Climatic conditions are largely sub-tropical with one ra<strong>in</strong>y season, between November and March.<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong>fall reliability decreases from north to south and also from east to west. Only 37% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country<br />

receives ra<strong>in</strong>fall considered adequate for agriculture. The country has been divided <strong>in</strong>to five broad Natural<br />

Regions <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> dom<strong>in</strong>ant partition<strong>in</strong>g factor is ra<strong>in</strong>fall.<br />

Agricultural production patterns depend on <strong>the</strong>se natural regions. Natural Region I is a specialized and<br />

diversified farm<strong>in</strong>g region. The region is suitable for forestry, fruit and <strong>in</strong>tensive livestock production. In<br />

Natural Region II flue-cured tobacco, maize, cotton, sugar beans and c<strong>of</strong>fee can be grown. Sorghum,<br />

groundnuts, seed maize, barley and various horticultural crops are also grown. Supplementary irrigation is<br />

done for w<strong>in</strong>ter wheat. Animal husbandry like poultry, cattle for dairy and meat, is also practiced <strong>in</strong>.<br />

Natural region III is a semi-<strong>in</strong>tensive farm<strong>in</strong>g region. Large-scale crop production covers only 15% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

arable land and most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> land is used for extensive beef ranch<strong>in</strong>g. Maize dom<strong>in</strong>ates commercial farm<br />

production. The region is subject to periodic seasonal droughts, prolonged mid-season dry spells and<br />

unreliable starts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ra<strong>in</strong>y season. Irrigation plays an important role <strong>in</strong> susta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g crop production.<br />

Natural regions IV and V are too dry for successful crop production without irrigation, but communal<br />

farmers have no o<strong>the</strong>r choice but to grow crops <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se areas even without access to irrigation. Millet and<br />

sorghum are <strong>the</strong> common crops but maize is also grown.<br />

A former colony <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United K<strong>in</strong>gdom, Zimbabwe atta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>dependence <strong>in</strong> 1980 follow<strong>in</strong>g elections <strong>in</strong><br />

1979. As is characteristic <strong>of</strong> former colonies, <strong>the</strong> economy <strong>in</strong>herited by <strong>the</strong> Government <strong>of</strong> Zimbabwe had<br />

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