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Abstract
Data show that rental markets for agricultural land held under customary forms of tenure in
sub-Saharan Africa are often constrained, despite potential benefits for many households. The notion that
conditions necessary for land rental will emerge in response to increasing population pressure and better
prospects in farming is questioned. Attention is focused on the 'supply' of institutional change and on
interest groups opposed to changes in customary tenure. The implication is that farmer support programs
are unlikely to realize their full potential unless they are accompanied by strategies designed to make
endogenous changes in customary tenure more predictable.