Land access is becoming a crucial issue in many African contexts, where groups and individuals are coping with land scarcity and increasing competition over resources. Based on fieldwork carried out in the southwestern region of Togo, this paper explores the plurality and adaptability of the forms of land access that have historically emerged from changing economic and political landscapes characterized by the rise and the decline of cocoa cultivation. Moreover, it analyses the current strategies (from manipulation of group membership and land title registration to renegotiation of previous sharecropping agreements) subjects in asymmetrical power relations use to rein
Authors and Publishers
Marco Gardini
The GIGA Institute of African Affairs (IAA) has been researching political and economic developments on the continent since 1963, primarily focusing on the areas south of the Sahara. The thematic core of the institute’s research consists of institutional structures (such as political parties, electoral systems and constitutional courts), conflicts over resources and religious domination, foreign investment and its consequences, and African leading powers. By working with local partners, IAA researchers gain comprehensive knowledge of developments in the region.