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Land
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Land Rush in Africa
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Land Rush in Africa

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2023) | Viewed by 26809

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Logan Cochrane

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. College of Public Policy, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha 34110, Qatar
2. Institute of Policy and Development Research, Hawassa University, Hawassa 05, SNNPR, Ethiopia
Interests: public policy; anthropology; development studies; human geography; evaluation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The commodity price spike of 2007/2008 drew the attention of global investors to agriculture and food, who were themselves reeling from a financial crisis and seeking new pastures for profit. Although land grabbing has deep colonial roots, with some land deals continuously being held since the colonial era, African agricultural land became a prime target of foreign investment on an unprecedented scale during the last fifteen years. While the available literature is growing, including a recent collection the SI Editor contributed to, the geography of evidence regarding the land rush in Africa is uneven. On the macro-scale, some heavily impacted nations have been almost entirely neglected. Within nations, some deals and investors have attracted a disproportionate amount of research attention, while others have been made invisible by their exclusion from study. Much of the literature is case-study-based; however, even within these detailed analyses, there are aspects that remain understudied, such as varied impacts based on forms of social differentiation and environmental impacts. This Special Issue aims to bring together case studies, comparative research, and macro-evidence to assess the diverse impacts of the land rush across Africa. In particular, we encourage contributing authors to integrate interdisciplinary perspectives to analyze intersecting issues of livelihoods, rights, gender, power, political economy, biodiversity, sovereignty, and security.

Dr. Logan Cochrane
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Africa
  • land
  • foreign direct investment
  • FDI
  • large-scale land acquisition
  • land grabbing
  • land rush

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 1004 KiB  
Article
Analyzing the Changes of the Meaning of Customary Land in the Context of Land Grabbing in Malawi
by Yuh-Jin Bae
Land 2021, 10(8), 836; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10080836 - 10 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3746
Abstract
Ordinary Malawians who live in customary land have been suffering from land grabbing due to their weak and ill-defined land rights. Although Malawi has experienced a number of land reforms that should have contributed to strengthening customary land rights, many people in customary [...] Read more.
Ordinary Malawians who live in customary land have been suffering from land grabbing due to their weak and ill-defined land rights. Although Malawi has experienced a number of land reforms that should have contributed to strengthening customary land rights, many people in customary land still suffer from land grabbing. Accordingly, it is important to understand the factors that lead to land grabbing in customary land in Malawi. Thus, by looking at the overview of land laws and policies throughout history, this study has two aims: (1) to analyze the historical changes in the meaning and position of customary land in Malawi and (2) to analyze the land grabbers in Malawi before, during, and after the colonial era. In order to achieve the main goals, this research mainly analyzes land laws and policies connected to customary land in Malawi. The main findings of this research are that (1) the meaning of customary land changed before and after the colonial period, but little has changed between the colonial period and the present. Since the creation of land laws during the colonial period, the land rights of the people who live in customary land have not been secured, and (2) the land grabbers changed from the British colonial rulers and European settlers to the Government of Malawi. Further, with the recent land laws, such as Land Act 2016 and Customary Land Act 2016, wealthy Malawians may become new land grabbers who can afford to obtain the customary estate grants. By examining the main results, it was found that from the colonial period until the present, customary land has been vulnerable to land grabbing as its weak position still resembles that of the colonial era. Thus, Malawi appears to face significant challenges in amending its customary land laws for the benefit of the poor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Rush in Africa)
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22 pages, 4737 KiB  
Article
Forests to the Foreigners: Large-Scale Land Acquisitions in Gabon
by Danielle D. Legault and Logan Cochrane
Land 2021, 10(4), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10040420 - 15 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6945
Abstract
For the past decade, the land rush discourse has analyzed foreign investment in land and agriculture around the world, with Africa being a continent of particular focus due to the scale of acquisitions that have taken place. Gabon, a largely forested state in [...] Read more.
For the past decade, the land rush discourse has analyzed foreign investment in land and agriculture around the world, with Africa being a continent of particular focus due to the scale of acquisitions that have taken place. Gabon, a largely forested state in Central Africa, has been neglected in the land rush conversations, despite having over half of its land allocated to forestry, agriculture, and mining concessions. This paper draws on existing evidence and contributes new empirical data through expert interviews to fill this critical knowledge gap. We situate Gabon’s historic relationship with land, establishing the intrinsic relationship between colonial land tenure systems and present-day land rights. Our findings analyze the macro context of investors and investments, as well as the impacts related to rural–urban linkages and infrastructure development into the forests, civil society, human–environment relationships, and certification programs. While challenges continue to be experienced, the promise of Gabon’s first national land use plan—the use of sustainable concessions and mandatory forestry certification—offers a unique opportunity for Gabon to transition towards a future that better benefits its population while also protecting its natural resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Rush in Africa)
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19 pages, 677 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Impact of Large-Scale Agricultural Investments on Household Food Security Using an Endogenous Switching Regression Model
by Wegayehu Fitawek and Sheryl L. Hendriks
Land 2021, 10(3), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030323 - 20 Mar 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4790
Abstract
This study set out to estimate the effects of large-scale agricultural investments (LSAIs) on household food security in one community each in Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique. An endogenous switching regression model was adopted to control for a possible selection bias due to unobserved [...] Read more.
This study set out to estimate the effects of large-scale agricultural investments (LSAIs) on household food security in one community each in Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique. An endogenous switching regression model was adopted to control for a possible selection bias due to unobserved factors. It was found that households with members employed by large-scale agricultural investment companies were more likely larger households headed by younger migrant males holding smaller plots and fewer livestock than non-engaged households. The endogenous switching regression results confirmed the presence of both a positive and negative selection bias. In general, the results showed that households with a member employed by an LSAI enjoyed better household food security, higher dietary diversity, better food consumption scores and more adequate household food provisioning. Households without employed members could also enjoy these benefits should the LSAIs employ their members. However, the seasonal nature and low wages paid by LSAI may only support the purchase of food and not facilitate savings and investments to significantly improve food security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Rush in Africa)
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20 pages, 575 KiB  
Article
The Rush to the Peripheries: Land Rights and Tenure Security in Peri-Urban Ethiopia
by Addiswork Tilahun Teklemariam and Logan Cochrane
Land 2021, 10(2), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10020193 - 14 Feb 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3353
Abstract
As the global population continues to urbanize, increasing pressure is put upon urban centers and the carrying capacity of the already built-up areas. One way to meet these demands is horizontal expansion, which requires new lands to become incorporated into urban centers. In [...] Read more.
As the global population continues to urbanize, increasing pressure is put upon urban centers and the carrying capacity of the already built-up areas. One way to meet these demands is horizontal expansion, which requires new lands to become incorporated into urban centers. In most cases, this demand is met by converting peri-urban land into urban land as the urban center expands. These processes of expansion into the peri-urban, however, create tension regarding land use and land rights, and may foster tenure insecurity if not well managed. As in many countries, Ethiopia is experiencing extensive urban population growth and the peri-urban areas at the edge of urban centers are under pressure. This study investigates land rights issues and tenure security conditions of peri-urban farmers in the case study sites of Addis Ababa and Hawassa. The findings reveal that urban expansion into the peripheral agricultural lands and the resulting tenure system change has caused intense perceived tenure insecurity among peri-urban farmers. The range of land rights exercised differs in these two sites, as measured by the property rights analytical framework. Peri-urban farmers in Hawassa hold weak owner positions, enabling them to exercise thicker rights. However, peri-urban farmers in Addis Ababa hold weak claimant positions, which is slightly above the operational level right of an authorized user. This analysis suggests that the urban development and expansion strategies adopted by the respective city administrations are impacting land rights of the peri-urban farmers and their tenure security, albeit in unique ways, from which lessons can be drawn about how urban expansion policies can be more appropriately designed and implemented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Rush in Africa)
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Review

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17 pages, 505 KiB  
Review
The Global Land Rush and Agricultural Investment in Ghana: Existing Knowledge, Gaps, and Future Directions
by John Anku, Nathan Andrews and Logan Cochrane
Land 2023, 12(1), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010132 - 31 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1953
Abstract
The large-scale acquisition of land by investors intensified following the 2007/2008 triple crises of food, energy, and finance. In the years that followed, tens of millions of hectares of land were leased or sold for agricultural investment. This phenomenon has resulted in a [...] Read more.
The large-scale acquisition of land by investors intensified following the 2007/2008 triple crises of food, energy, and finance. In the years that followed, tens of millions of hectares of land were leased or sold for agricultural investment. This phenomenon has resulted in a growing body of scholarship that seeks to explain trends, institutional regimes, impacts, and the variety of actors involved, among other subtopics, such as impacts on food security and livelihoods. Focusing on the case study of Ghana, this paper presents a review that uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to critically assess the state of large-scale land acquisitions for agricultural development in Ghana. Our objective in this review is to provide an overview of what we know about such acquisitions in Ghana while pointing to gaps and directions for future research. Contrary to the perception of large-scale land acquisitions being undertaken by foreign investors, the review shows there is a significant role of Ghanaian investors. Additionally, we found the negative impact of these acquisitions, specifically biofuel projects, which featured predominantly in the literature captured in this study. In addition, the role of traditional authorities (chiefs) was a central focus of studies dedicated to land acquisitions in Ghana. Areas that are either understudied or missing from the literature include conflicts, climate change, biodiversity, corporate social responsibility, gendered social differentiation, ethnicity, and the role of diaspora. These gaps call for future research that examines the land question from a multidimensional and multidisciplinary perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Rush in Africa)
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13 pages, 494 KiB  
Review
The Rush for Land and Agricultural Investment in Ethiopia: What We Know and What We Are Missing
by Logan Cochrane and Danielle D. Legault
Land 2020, 9(5), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/land9050167 - 22 May 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4623
Abstract
More than a decade has passed since the triple crises of food, energy and finance in the period 2007–2008. Those events turned global investor interest to agriculture and its commodities and thereafter the leasing of tens of millions of hectares of land. This [...] Read more.
More than a decade has passed since the triple crises of food, energy and finance in the period 2007–2008. Those events turned global investor interest to agriculture and its commodities and thereafter the leasing of tens of millions of hectares of land. This article reviews and synthesizes the available evidence regarding the agricultural investments that have taken place in Ethiopia since that time. We use a systematic review approach to identify literature from the Web of Science and complement that with additional literature found via Google Scholar. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used to analyze the available literature. In so doing, we raise questions of data quality, by analyzing the evidence base used by many studies (the Land Matrix database) and compare it with data we obtained from the Government of Ethiopia. We find that while the Land Matrix is the largest available database, it appears to present only a fraction of the reality. In critically assessing the literature, we identify areas that have been under-researched or are missing from the literature, namely assessments of gendered impacts, the role of diaspora and domestic investors, interdisciplinary approaches (e.g., integrating climate change, biodiversity, and water), and studies that move beyond technical assessment, such as looking at the impacts on traditional knowledge and socio-cultural systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Rush in Africa)
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