In Niger, Trees and Crops Turn Back the Desert [Thanks to adoption of property rights]

New York Times ^ | February 11, 2007 | LYDIA POLGREEN

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In this dust-choked region, long seen as an increasingly barren wasteland decaying into desert, millions of trees are flourishing, thanks in part to poor farmers whose simple methods cost little or nothing at all.

Niger, a place of persistent hunger and deprivation, has recently added millions of new trees and is now far greener than it was 30 years ago.

These gains, moreover, have come at a time when the population of Niger has exploded, confounding the conventional wisdom that population growth leads to the loss of trees and accelerates land degradation.

From colonial times, all trees in Niger had been regarded as the property of the state, which gave farmers little incentive to protect them. Trees were chopped for firewood or construction without regard to the environmental costs.

But over time, farmers began to regard the trees in their fields as their property, and in recent years the government has recognized the benefits of that outlook by allowing individuals to own trees. Farmers make money from the trees by selling branches, pods, fruit and bark. Because those sales are more lucrative over time than simply chopping down the tree for firewood, the farmers preserve them.

“The benefits are so many it is really astonishing,” Dr. Larwanou said. “The farmers can sell the branches for money. They can feed the pods as fodder to their animals. They can sell or eat the leaves. They can sell and eat the fruits. Trees are so valuable to farmers, so they protect them.”

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This is a real world example of how people and the environment benefit from private property rights. It also debunks the myth that famine and desertification are caused by "overpopulation."

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Look what showed up in The New York Times!

[aquila48]

Not surprised - the IHT is owned by the NYTimes...

[grundle]

OK. That makes sense.

[Nailbiter]

leftists and Global warming folks are not going to like this report. Does not fit their model

[denydenydeny]

From colonial times, all trees in Niger had been regarded as the property of the state, which gave farmers little incentive to protect them. Trees were chopped for firewood or construction without regard to the environmental costs.

This is the famous "tragedy of the commons" which causes liberals such anguish. But of course the "tragedy of the commons" melts away immediately when private property rights appear.

[grundle]

Yep!