THE ECONOMICS OF CAIN AND ABEL - AGROPASTORAL PROPERTY-RIGHTS IN THE SAHEL

The complementarity of the economic systems of nomads and farmers is o ften overshadowed by the conflicts inherent in the competition over th e control of land. The conflict is one of property rights. A dynamic p rogramming model of the West African Sahel is presented that simulates the emergence of a dual economy based on the comparative advantage of the farmer and the pastoralist. The model illustrates that exclusive private property rights have no claim to optimality. The analysis of r isk in an intertemporal framework suggests the optimality of another t ype of property right - the right to flexible adjustment typically cla imed by the pastoralist. Multiple property regimes provide optimal set tings for farmers and pastoralists.