Land rights perceptions and farmer behavior: Evidence from Central Asia

Secure land tenure is widely believed to foster agricultural investment. However, farmers’ subjective perceptions of land rights rather than legal entitlements may ultimately shape their land use decisions. This study analyzes how perceived land rights and their discrepancies with written rules influence farmers’ intentions to intensify land use. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior and survey data from 955 farmers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we find that perceived land rights and their discrepancies play an important role in shaping intensification intentions, but through context-specific mechanisms. In Kazakhstan, perceived land rights positively influence farmers’ intentions only indirectly through attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. In Uzbekistan, by contrast, perceived land rights are negatively associated with intensification intentions both directly and indirectly, suggesting that stronger perceived rights may discourage investment under rigid and centralized land governance. Moreover, underuse of legal rights undermines key behavioral drivers among Kazakh farmers, while violations of formal land use restrictions reduce intensification intentions among Uzbek farmers. These findings underscore the need to align formal regulations with local perceptions to enhance land policy effectiveness and tenure security in transitional contexts.