This report details practical lessons on how to approach responsible land based investments in agriculture, derived from the experiences of LEGEND challenge fund projects and other pilots in Africa.

This briefing note presents the Executive Summary of a LEGEND paper that synthesises the key lessons from recent partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa that explored how private business can partner with civil society stakeholders to demonstrate how agricultural investments can operate responsibly by respecting the legitimate land rights of local communities.

The UK Department for International Development (the “DFID”) plays a strong role in driving changes towards improving land rights protection, land-tenure information and responsible private sector land investments in developing countries. With funding from DFID’s LEGEND Challenge Program, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (“WHH”) currently tests the CPCModel in partnership with a Sierra Leonean Investor under the SPIRAL-Project (the “Project”).

The report focuses on Sierra Leone (SL), which has placed a high priority on private sector investments over the last decade to support agricultural development. The country has experienced a significant increase of (mainly foreign) investments based on LSLAs, yet few of which are in an advanced stage. The study is based on several of palm oil and cocoa sector investment case studies. Both sectors are very relevant for SL’s economy and have seen several private sector investments.

Investment into large-scale agribusiness projects in African post-conflict states is framed within broader economic reforms. On their surface, these projects boast of attracting much-needed infrastructure development, providing employment and shifts from subsistence agriculture to formal wage labor, and raising GDP.

The Block Farm-Model

The SPIRAL-Project (the "Project"), financed by the UK government under the LEGEND Challenge Fund and implemented by Deutsche Welthungerhilfe ("WHH") and a private-sector partner (the "Investor"), establishes and tests a fair, transparent, and inclusive business approach (the CPC model) for responsible land-based agricultural investments in the Sierra Leonean Cocoa Sector.

Recording Land Ownership Claims and Land Use Rights information can strengthen land tenure rights, increase land productivity, and prevent future land disputes.

The Community Land Value Chain (CaVaTeCo in Portuguese) is an approach that can improve tenure security and management of community lands and natural resources in the context of large-scale land investments. This note presents this approach.

In Sierra Leone Solidaridad implemented a project which is part of the LEGEND programme funded by DFID (2016-1019). The private sector partner in this project is the Natural Habitats Sierra Leone, which currently operates in two oil palm production areas, located around Yele and Zimmi in the Gbonkolenken district of Northern Sierra and Pujehun district of Southern Sierra Leone respectively.

This guidance aims to provide companies with an overview of the links between land and human rights enshrined in these agreements and in official statements issued by treaty monitoring bodies. While it focuses on Ghana with a non-exhaustive examination its human rights obligations with an overview of the most significant agreements pertaining to land-based investments, it will be useful for companies working in other countries because the agreements presented have been ratified and signed by a large number of countries.