The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program After 30 Years: Accomplishments and Forward Options

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This study evaluates the performance of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the last 30 years using the program’s theory of change. The accomplishments of CARP in terms of land reformed area and number of beneficiaries for the past 30 years have been substantial. However, there is evidence that the program has been poorly targeted in terms of areas covered and beneficiaries. Among others, the study also notes that while there is weak evidence of overpricing of the land acquired by the government, the delay in CARP implementation is expected to increase the cost of land acquisition due to increased land/zonal land prices as a result of urbanization in the countryside. While the implementation of the program may have been flawed, there is no need to redo the CARP. Instead, government should focus on support programs to modernize agriculture benefitting small farmers, i.e., scaling up promising arrangements such as agrarian reform communities, block farming, and agribusiness venture arrangements. On the other hand, issues on land consolidation, land ownership concentration, or land conversions can be better addressed through convergence efforts of land agencies and digitization in land management and administration.