Includes the land deal and competing land claims, socio-historical context, corporate responsibility or corporate displacement?, Mangoma and “angry villagers”. The case study of Chisumbanje, Zimbabwe, shows how ambiguous land rights emerge historically, particularly over state land, and that these long-running ambiguities come to the fore when land deals are struck. Issues that have lain dormant for decades become the focus for intense contests, which become captured by contemporary interest groups.

Includes the challenges of data collection on foreign land deals in Tanzania and flaws in the documentation and reproduction of data. Concludes that the number of non-transparent projects remains high. Many biofuels deals announced in 2005-8 have failed to materialise. Hope this study will make a contribution to a transparent basis for much needed policy debates and decisions.

Includes situation prior to acquisition, contract negotiations, employment, environmental impacts, crop production, ancillary services, responsibilities of key actors – the international community, national governments, local governments, communities and civil society, domestic and international investors.

Includes overview of phases of land deals and their gender implications, further evidence using recent case studies from Indonesia and Mozambique, promising initiatives and recommendations, identification of knowledge gaps.

Section I provides an overview of large-scale land deals. It assesses the trend at a global level and examines structural obstacles faced by efforts to regulate such deals. Section II focuses on corruption as a major obstacle to improving the protection of local communities and indigenous peoples whose livelihood, identities, and traditional ways of life depend on the use of local lands and natural resources. This phenomenon is largely understudied because corruption, by its very nature, is hidden and therefore poorly documented.

Discusses the human rights issues raised by large-scale land deals for plantation agriculture (‘land grabbing’) in low and middle-income countries. Finds that it is a serious issue requiring urgent attention. Conceptualises the link between land deals and human rights, reviews relevant international human rights law and discusses evidence on actual and potential human rights impacts. Finds that important human rights dimensions are at stake and that compressions of human rights have been documented in some contexts.

Includes the approach of this study; land and governance; large-scale land deals; open door policy and land to investors; land deals; processes and outcomes; findings from Gambella Region and Bako Woreda in Oromia Region; conclusions; partial list of large-scale land transfers in Ethiopia; notes on Ethiopia’s administration.

This policy brief is based on research that examines women’s security in the context of large-scale land deals in West Africa. It focuses on Northern Sierra Leone and the impact of biofuels investment projects in Port Loko district, recommending three key changes.

Includes the commodification of land, the effects of the land rush in developing countries, land rush land grab?, how much land is involved?, can land deals work for small farmers?, the actors involved in large-scale land acquisitions, legal frameworks protect the investors, international mechanism for protecting human rights, at national level little protection for the poor.

Ce profil pays présente les données de la Land Matrix pour République Démocratique du Congo et inclut les acquisitions de terres à grande échellequi:

• consistent en des transferts du droit d’exploitation ou de contrôle des terres au moyen bail ou de la concession;

• couvrent des surfaces de 200 hectares ou plus;

• ont été initiées depuis l’année 2000;

• impliquent une conversion potentielle des terres (souvent de pâturages extensifs et de services écosystémiques vers un usage agricole);

To amend the Deeds Registries Act, 1937, so as to provide discretion in respect of the rectification of errors in the name of a person or the description of property mentioned in deeds and other documents; to provide for the issuing of certificates of registered title taking the place of deeds that have become incomplete or unserviceable; to substitute an obsolete reference; to substitute an outdated heading; to delete reference to the repealed Agricultural Credit Act, 1966; to further regulate the updating of deeds in respect of the change of names of companies, close corporations and the

This note is for private sector project implementers and financers (development finance institutions, international development agencies, commercial lenders and equity investors) seeking to invest responsibly in new greenfield sites in low and middle- income countries. It aims to provide practical guidance on identifying and addressing community land conflicts to prevent them escalating into disputes between the project and local communities.