When we look at access to land and security of tenure, we talk about formal ‘ownership titles’, ‘informal written contracts’ and oral agreements between various parties. The rights and rights holders concerned are not usually specified something that often leads to misunderstandings and even conflict. This paper aims to help fill this gap by proposing a clear, simple method for characterising rights to land and natural resources and holders of land rights that can easily be applied in different cultures and legal systems all over the world.

‘Modern’ legal categories rarely take full account of the complexities of reality on the ground. Worse still, they sometimes lead to profound changes in social and economic relations, since providing security for one type of rights holder or issuing a particular land title (full or absolute) may negate the rights of other types of rights holders.

These suggestions of the malagache CSO FIANTSO are a direct response to the evaluation report of  the IFAD/FAO mission on the land reform in madagascar and their formulated observations, lessons and recommendations.

When we look at access to land and security of tenure, we talk about formal ‘ownership titles’, ‘informal written contracts’ and oral agreements between various parties. The rights and rights holders concerned are not usually specified something that often leads to misunderstandings and even conflict. This paper aims to help fill this gap by proposing a clear, simple method for characterising rights to land and natural resources and holders of land rights that can easily be applied in different cultures and legal systems all over the world.

When we look at access to land and security of tenure, we talk about formal ‘ownership titles’, ‘informal written contracts’ and oral agreements between various parties. The rights and rights holders concerned are not usually specified something that often leads to misunderstandings and even conflict. This paper aims to help fill this gap by proposing a clear, simple method for characterising rights to land and natural resources and holders of land rights that can easily be applied in different cultures and legal systems all over the world.

This paper seeks to add to the growing literature on land concessions by examining a recent, high-level concession as a means of understanding three aspects related to concessionary investments: (1) the process by which concessions are awarded and implemented; (2) the intricate relationship between land use, land tenure, and land ownership in the face of concessions; and (3) the way in which village and household livelihoods are impacted due to such massive land use and ownership changes.

This study by GTZ on behalf of BMZ about FDI in land has identified numerous problems that the Malian Government needs to tackle. Since 2007 foreign direct investments (FDI) in land have dramatically increased. Situated in West Africa, the Republic of Mali
covers an area of 1,241,238 km2. Of this in 2002, 35.2 % was designated arable land and 11.6 % was cultivated land. To date, FDI covers 130,105 ha of land. The study formulates recommendations to ensure that local communities derive the best possible benefits from FDI.

[From the editorial] This issue of Feminist Africa seeks to explore the interconnections among economic liberalisation policies, land and resource tenures, and labour relations in the structuring of gendered livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. The focus on livelihoods departs somewhat from Feminist Africa’s niche in providing cutting-edge feminist analysis of issues of sexual politics and identities, national politics and democratisation processes, higher education and feminist research methodologies.

In this booklet the Sustainable Economic Development Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains the bottlenecks women face in the production, preparation, processing and trading of food. The booklet also presents an overview of Dutch-funded organisations and projects focused on food security that are working to enhance the economic empowerment of women.

The publication starts by arguing that the first condition for sustainable food production is enhancing women’s land rights.