There are many misconceptions about farming in southern Africa;and one of the most insidious is the notion of ‘viability’. A narrow economistic version has predominated that is based on a normative vision of farming based on full-time;large-scale commercial production. But taking a wider view;what is viable can take different forms more appreciative of the diverse ways farming is intertwined with wider livelihoods;and across different scales.
In 2008;the world food crisis shifted agricultural investment to countries with productive land and cheap labour. The Nacala Corridor;one of the most fertile and populated areas of Mozambique;was heavily affected. At least 38 companies linked to large-scale agriculture;forestry and animal husbandry settled in the region. Thousands of peasant farmers were dispossessed of their land and are still waiting for the promises of a better life to come true. This web documentary seeks to give a voice to some of those affected by this land grab.
Examines the political economy of agricultural commercialisation in Malawi over the past three decades;which has been influenced to a very large extent by the changing configurations of political elites and their underlying interests;incentives and motivations;including using the agricultural sector as a source of political patronage;fraud and corruption.
In June 2018;the President of Burkina Faso enacted a new agriculture investment code;aiming at promoting productive investments in livestock;fisheries;forestry and fauna management. It establishes an enabling environment and creates incentives to boost investment in the targeted sectors. Despite some shortcomings that can be fixed through implementation;the code is an important step in the right direction to attract responsible investment.
In June 2019 the Government of Zimbabwe announced a policy instrument allowing for Joint Ventures (JVs) and subletting of land for agricultural purposes. This paper discusses what the JVs mean for Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector in particular and the broader economy in general. The ultimate objective is to establish the relationship between the JV and land subletting or leasing policy instrument;as well as interrogate the circumstances under which these thrive. The paper also explores the possible effects JV’s and subletting will have on Zimbabwe’s agriculture value supply chains.
This market assessment;undertaken in 2015;reviews the constraints faced by smallholder farmers in three sectors (rural land rental;access to finance and agriculture) that limit the positive impact of second level land certification in Tigray and the Southern Nations;Nationalities;and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Furthermore;the assessment provides a list of feasible interventions to catalyse the economic impact of increased tenure security..This resource was published in the frame of the Land Investment for Transformation (LIFT) Programme.
This market assessment;undertaken in 2014;reviews the constraints faced by smallholder farmers in three sectors (rural land rental;access to finance and agriculture) that limit the positive impact of second level land certification in Amhara and Oromia. Furthermore;the assessment provides a list of feasible interventions to catalyse the economic impact of increased tenure security..This resource was published in the frame of the Land Investment for Transformation (LIFT) Programme.
For the past decade, the land rush discourse has analyzed foreign investment in land and agriculture around the world, with Africa being a continent of particular focus due to the scale of acquisitions that have taken place. Gabon, a largely forested state in Central Africa, has been neglected in the land rush conversations, despite having over half of its land allocated to forestry, agriculture, and mining concessions. This paper draws on existing evidence and contributes new empirical data through expert interviews to fill this critical knowledge gap.
The Summary Report of the 3rd Mekong Regional Land Forum provides a comprehensive review of the key messages from the event including a synthesis of keynote speeches, key take-aways, the links to all presentations and additional documentation.
Shifting cultivation is a dominant form of farming in the eastern Himalayas, practised by a diverse group of indigenous people from the most marginalized social and economic groups. The survival of these indigenous people and the survival of their forests are inextricably linked. However, policy makers and natural resource managers perceive shifting cultivation to be wasteful, destructive to forests, and unsustainable.
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