Location
Mokoro is pleased to host the ’Land Rights in Africa’ site as a contribution to the land rights dialogue and related debates. This website was created in January 2000 by Robin Palmer, and was originally housed by Oxfam GB, where Robin worked as a Land Rights Adviser. A library of resources on land rights in Africa – with a particular focus on women’s land rights and on the impact of land grabbing in Africa – the portal has been well received by practitioners, researchers and policy makers, and has grown considerably over the years. Since 2012, Mokoro has been hosting and maintaining the site.
The views expressed on the Land Rights in Africa site as well as the publications hosted there, are those of the authors and do not represent those of Mokoro. Wherever possible, we link to the source website of publications.
Members:
Resources
Displaying 116 - 120 of 1134Legal Empowerment of the Poor through Property Rights Reform: Tensions and Trade-offs of Land Registration and Titling in Sub-Saharan Africa
In many rural areas across sub-Saharan Africa lack of tenure security for women has been exacerbated by rising commercial pressure on land;further aggravated by climate change;urbanisation and population growth. As a result;rural livelihoods are being undermined;with potentially dire consequences for communitieseconomic development and food security. Since 2016 IIED has been working with partners in Ghana;Senegal and Tanzania to engage with rural communities.
The Highest Bidder Takes It All: The World Bank’s Scheme to Privatize the Commons
Tenure risk – or the risk of dispute between investors and local people over land or natural resource claims – is endemic in emerging markets. There are hundreds of recorded incidents of tenure disputes creating delays;violence, project cancellation and even bankruptcy at a corporate level. These tenure disputes create lose-lose outcomes for investors;local people and national governments;while robbing emerging markets of the developmental benefits of responsible land investments. However;many investors are unaware of the problem or lack the time and resources to address it.
Rural producer agency and agricultural value chains: What role for socio-legal empowerment?
Cameroon’s current land law appears to have two conflicting objectives: to attract investors through large-scale land concessions; while protecting biodiversity;defending local people’s rights and promoting rural development. But the legislation governing large-scale land-based investments is outdated and sometimes incoherent. The land allocation process is investor driven and does not appropriately balance economic;social or environmental considerations.
Community Paralegals and the Pursuit of Justice
There are many misconceptions about farming in southern Africa;and one of the most insidious is the notion of ‘viability’. A narrow economistic version has predominated that is based on a normative vision of farming based on full-time;large-scale commercial production. But taking a wider view;what is viable can take different forms more appreciative of the diverse ways farming is intertwined with wider livelihoods;and across different scales.
The global farmland grab by pension funds needs to stop
Money from pension funds has fuelled the financial sector’s massive move into farmland investing over the past decade. The number of pension funds involved in farmland investment and the amount of money they are deploying into it is increasing;under the radar. This unprecedented take-over of farmland by financial companies has major implications for rural communities and food systems;and must be challenged. Leaving it to the companies to police themselves with their own voluntary guidelines is a recipe for disaster.