This primer provides guidance for including and protecting vulnerable groups in the context of a land-based investment. It outlines the importance of identifying and engaging with vulnerable groups, who often have weak claims to land rights and are particularly susceptible to negative impacts from changes in land use. It provides

• an overview of who may qualify for inclusion in a vulnerable group and descriptions of specific vulnerable groups, and

• step-by-step guidance for governments, business, and communities..

This guide is directed at governments and companies seeking information on implementing FPIC principles in investment operations to safeguard the land rights of project-affected communities. It describes the key elements of FPIC, details steps that need to take place to ensure compliance with FPIC and lists additional resources that business enterprises can consult for further guidance on how to adhere to the principles of FPIC.

This primer provides guidance for companies who seek to ensure that risks for project-affected communities are minimised, especially for women, who can be more vulnerable than men when it comes to land tenure. It provides step by step requirements to ensure that women as well as men are aware of and benefit from a proposed land transaction. For each step, the primer includes a checklist of questions to help guide the work and a list of resources where more detailed information can be found.

This Primer provides practical guidance for companies on how to design, implement, manage, and monitor a company-based grievance mechanism. It is divided into the three main sections and associated steps:

• how to design and implement a company-based grievance mechanism,

• how to create procedures for receiving, investigating, and responding to complaints, and

• how to create procedures for monitoring and evaluating the grievance mechanism.

This primer includes an overview of valuation and compensation best practices that illustrates the relationship between valuation and compensation and other steps and elements of responsible investment. It describes how to develop and implement valuation and compensation practices that lead to fair and adequate compensation to the community and individual land users impacted or displaced by an investment. It is intendend for government agencies and private sector actors.

This primer on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) offers a brief explanation of what M&E is, why it is important and what common best practices are associated with it, all in the context of supporting the implementation of a socially responsible land-based investment. It also includes specific guidance on how to develop and execute an effective M&E plan for the implementation of an investment.

Date: 18 novembre 2019

Source: Foncier & Développement; GRAIN

GRAIN, L’Alliance contre les plantations industrielles en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, septembre 2019

 ABSTARCTA common limiting factor to the development of agriculture on the continent is the amorphous land administration laws and practices which in certain locations, is dominated by traditional administration and inheritance among an ever-increasing population, leading to fragmentation of available land with little available for commercial agriculture.Using desk reviews of previous studies, this research aimed to analyse the causative factors of ineffective land-based investments especially in agricultural production with a view to harnessing the huge potentials of land-based investments

This paper aims to explore implications of large-scale land investment for local citizenship, with a particular focus on customs and mobility. The concept of local citizenship is a neglected aspect of land investment debates. We argue that the use of the concept helps us to identify how large-scale land investments work to invoke the hegemonic and customary power of indigenes and undermine local citizenship identity of migrants.

To address food insecurity, the Government of Ethiopia embarked on a rapid transformation in the agriculture sector to increase production, productivity, market access and create employment opportunities by promoting large scale agricultural investment projects. However, progress towards achieving set objectives has been rather limited so far due to various challenges. One of the major challenges is that information on commercial farming is outdated and unreliable for decision making.

The LANDac Conference 2018 looked at land governance through the lens of mobility. Land acquisitions trigger migration and yield other types of mobility such as capital, goods and ideas. Ensuing land claims raise new questions for land governance. So far, the discussion has focused on respecting land rights, informing local residents and offering fair compensation. The conference explored the question: Given the variety of mobility, what are good ways forward in land governance?

Why this study?
Recent years have witnessed an increase in violent conflicts involving pastoralists in parts of West Africa and the Sahel. They often take the form of clashes between herders and farmers, impacting human, national and regional security.
Given its mandate and role in conflict prevention, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States, initiated this study in 2017 to examine the causes and identify concrete solutions to conflicts related to pastoralism.