Modernization and Pasture Degradation: A Comparative Study of Two Sàmi Reindeer Pasture Regions in Norway

ABSTRACT. We compare two reindeer pasture regions in Norway. Both were exposed to the same external changes, such a new technologies, increased market access, and new state policies. As North became overgrazed in the 1980s, South was not. In explaining this, we focus on interaction between such external factors and internal characteristics like the natural resource base and the Sámi institutions. South herder leaders pursued institutional transfor-mations included in state policies, however, the state policy was not legitimate in the North. We recommend focus on self-governance, cultural dy-namics, and examining many relevant factors before the imposition of changes in governance structures and incentive systems. (JEL O13 Q24) I