This LEGEND bulletin takes stock of some of the recent experience in legal empowerment. The result is a kaleidoscope of approaches operating at different levels, but pursuing broadly converging agendas.

From the document's preface: "This draft Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) sets out the general principles and policies to be followed in connection with any land acquisition and resultant resettlement which will occur during the implementation of the proposed Irrigation Restoration and Development Project scheduled to commence in 2011.

From preamble: 

"An Act of Parliament to give effect to Article 63 (5) of the Constitution; to provide for the recognition, protection and registration of community land rights; management and administration of community land; to provide for the role of county governments in relation to unregistered community land and for connected purposes "

This LEGEND bulletin considers the impact that new technology can have on documenting land rights and democratising access to land data around the world.

"An Act to recognise and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forestdw~ing Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded; to provide for a framework for recording the forest rights so vested and the nature of evidence required for such recognition and vesting in respect of forest land"

"An Act to recognise and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forestdw~ing Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded; to provide for a framework for recording the forest rights so vested and the nature of evidence required for such recognition and vesting in respect of forest land"

The Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), with support from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), performed the Ghana Land Tenure Baseline Survey, the first of its kind survey of tenure rights among cocoa farmers in Ghana. CRIG surveyed almost 1,800 cocoa farmers operating 3,900 cocoa plots regarding various land tenure issues within customary sharecropping arrangements and on owner-managed land. This report describes the findings from the Survey.

Planning for climate resilience growth is increasingly important for the natural resource dependent economy of Tanzania. Central government does not have the knowledge, reach, skills or resources needed to plan for the range of livelihoods within Tanzania; but local governments, if granted the authority and resources, could plan with communities in the flexible, timely and appropriate manner that climate variability demands.

In light of persisting land use conflicts and marginal productivity on village lands, a research in the captioned topic was deemed necessary. This report makes a review of policies on land and livestock agriculture behind the backdrop of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, policies on land and agriculture, and aspirations for land reform. Violations in land rights and prevailing tenure insecurity lasting for decades have skewed mindsets of many users and the land administrators. Policy implementation and enforcement are in dire need of enhancement.

This study sought to follow up the implementation of the Kilimo Kwanza initiative with the view to establish reliable facts on its significance to small-scale producers, mainly peasants and pastoralists. To achieve this, the study began by examining the perception of small-scale producers about Kilimo Kwanza and it assessed their participation in the implementation process. Moreover, the study scrutinized the proposed amendment of the Village Land Act and its implication to small-scale produces if carried out.

Increasing investments in biofuel production follow a shift of energy demand,in developed nations from fossil fuel to bio energyto run machines. Consequently, there has is an accelerated influx of investors from the Europe, Asia and Americain quest for productive and fertile lands.

Proponents of the biofuel investments say the investment will improve among other things, agricultural production, add value to local products and markets and improve social services such as roads infrastructure, health facilities, clean water supply and education.