Based on current research in eastern Uganda, looks at inter-family conflicts over land, many of which go unresolved for years. Some fear that titling will lead to future dispossession as titled land is easier to sell. Such small-scale disputes do not drive the research and media agenda but represent the vast majority of conflicts over land in Africa.

Examines 3 case studies of proposed biofuel developments in Mozambique and Sierra Leone in terms of social displacement. More mitigation measures could provide livelihood restitution and avoid negative food security impacts.

It is often assumed that transferring land to rural households will provide people with valuable assets that can be productively used to enhance their livelihoods. Unfortunately, few rural people or land reform beneficiaries are perceived to be using land productively because they do not engage in significant commercial production for the market. Transferring land to subsistence users is therefore seen as a waste of resources.

Explores current and potential impacts of the increasing spread of biofuels on access to land in producer countries, particularly for poorer rural people. Finds that biofuels could revitalise rural agriculture and livelihoods, but may also marginalise and exclude poorer people – particularly where local land rights are insecure, capacity to enforce them is limited, and major power asymmetries shape relations between local resource users and large industry players.

Explores the relationship between HIV/AIDS and land rights in Kenya, with a particular focus on women. The study examines three village case studies in different parts of Kenya (Embo, Thika and Bondo) and attempts to distinguish the role of HIV/AIDS in precipitating or aggravating tenure insecurity from other influences. The primary objective is to understand the relationship between the AIDS-affected status of households and individuals and changes in their land tenure status, if any. HIV/AIDS emerges as a significant but not primary cause of tenure insecurity.

Despite the spate of media reports, international land deals and their impacts remain little understood. The report discusses key trends and drivers in land acquisitions, the contractual arrangements underpinning them and the way these are negotiated, and the early impacts on land access for rural people in recipient countries. The focus is on sub-Saharan Africa, with an emphasis on Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Sudan, Mozambique and Tanzania. Concludes with recommendations for stakeholders.

Reviews redistributive land reform in Southern Africa (especially Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa) against the background of the current land crisis. Describes dilemmas created for governments and donors and attempts to grapple with them. Seeks answers to: what has been experience with land redistribution over the past decade, what has been the impact on people’s livelihoods, how are the redistribution programmes expected to develop in future, what might be the role of donors in the process?

Calls on the World Bank to freeze for 6 months all lending to projects that involve or enable agricultural large-scale land acquisitions. Includes an opportunity cost too high, the pivotal role of the World Bank, vital areas for progress, time to call a halt, recommendations.

Africa’s poor are heavily dependent on land and natural resources for livelihood, but some governments continue to resist transferring full resource management rights to them. This risks the loss or degradation of these resources, or their transfer into private hands. The continent’s development challenges are compounded by many factors, including unequal social, economic and political relations, the legacy of colonialism, globalisation, and collusive neo-liberal policy which favours capital and powerful allies.

Covers why indigenous and community land rights matter for everyone; progress or retreat? What is happening on the ground; what do we need to change?

Civil society formations in Africa have historically played an important part in the establishment of organising people in the pursuit of common goals. The majority of Africa’s people reside in rural areas where they derive their livelihoods from land, and for this majority secure access to land is the foundation of any efforts to alleviate poverty. Land reforms in Africa are at various stages of development in a number of countries, partly in response to pressures for liberalisation and privatisation from the World Bank and other like-minded institutions.

Examines the role of development finance institutions in land grabbing – the World Bank group, the African Development Bank group, IFAD, European development finance institutions, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Looks at international efforts to react to calls to stop land grabbing, makes recommendations.