Republic of Panama : agrarian land titling

The study found: (1) a strong correlation between land title (LT), more use of credit, and greater productivity, though no causal link between LT and agricultural development indicators; and (2) widespread but not universal interest among farmers in formalizing their informal land tenure arrangements. The team concluded that while an extensive LT program should not take place unless other key constraints to agricultural development are addressed, the impact of other agricultural development interventions could be limited unless tenure insecurity is resolved through an improved LT process. The report includes a compendium and analysis of land tenure legislation, a review and bibliography of literature on LT in Panama, an evaluation of LT in other countries, a description and analysis of current LT and cadastral systems in Panama, a cost-benefit analysis of a possible extensive LT project, and recommendations for developing a more effective, flexible, and inexpensive LT system in Panama. (Author abstract, modified)