The deforestation-free movement (or “zero-deforestation”) has emerged recently in a context of lower state control, globalization and pressure on corporations by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) through consumer awareness campaigns, acknowledging the essential role of agricultural commodities in deforestation. It takes the form of commitments by corporations to ensure that the products they either produce, process, trade or retail are not linked to forest conversion.

The report confirms that mangroves are among the most carbon-rich ecosystems in the world and seeks to provide the basis for their sustainable management, conservation and restoration. It highlights the high ecological and economic values of mangroves, and the threats that exist across the region. (Executive summary in Spanish and French)

This protocol will describe the methodology to be employed for a systematic map that will chart the development of the landscape approach theory, consolidate and synthesize existing definitions, and identify where and how these approaches have been implemented in the humid and dry tropics.

La déclaration faite sur les problèmes et enjeux fonciers en Afrique réaffirme les engagements pris pour éradiquer la pauvreté en vue d’améliorer le niveau de vie et le bien-être de populations et reconnait l’importance cruciale de la terre dans la croissance socio-économique et le développement durable, et dans la sécurité des moyens de subsistance sociaux, économiques et cultures de populations.

The adoption of Agenda 2063 at the continental level, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level, requires a high level of collection and collation of quality, timely, reliable and dis-aggregated data at all levels of the development process, including land, to inform decisions, enable all stakeholders to track progress and make the necessary adjustments to ensure transparency and mutual accountability in the continent and globally.

Cognizant of the centrality of land policy issues in Africa, a joint initiative was undertaken by the African Union Commission (AUC), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2006, forming the genesis of the Land Policy Initiative (LPI). Through the LPI important actions and measures have been launched including a series of regional studies on land issues across Africa accompanied by rigorous consultations and discussions at regional and continental levels.

The initiative on land policies, aims to assist African states to equip themselves with land policies that can contribute to economic development and poverty reduction as well as peace building. One of the pressing objectives of the initiative is to draft a reference framework and guidelines for land policies in Africa. The land policy framework and guidelines are not meant to impose a uniform land policy on African states, but, on the contrary, to help them develop and implement national land policies that are efficient and effective.

In this document the secretariat of the Economic Commission for Africa analyses the land problem in the urban areas and housing programmes for the masses. The document is in five main parts. The first part introduces the land issue in human settlements policy and identifies areas requiring attention in the interest of an orderly use of land in urban areas.

La majorité des populations urbaines dans la plupart des pays africains ne disposent que de faibles revenus et ne peuvent se permettre les fortes défenses en capital nécessaires à l'acquisition d'un logement. Toutefois, il semble que, s'ils avaient la possibilité d'acquérir des terrains, les économiquement faibles seraient capables de se construire des logements relativement convenables.

Depuis plusieurs années, on remarque une ruée sur les terres cultivables en Afrique. Ce déferlement peut s’expliquer par diverses raisons, telles que la recherche de nouvelles rentabilités à la suite de la crise financière actuelle, l’accroissement de l’investissement agricole pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire, l’encouragement de l’agrocarburant, etc. Toutefois, le phénomène n’est pas sans conséquence sur le bien-être des paysans locaux. Ces derniers, généralement réunis autour de sociétés coopératives, peuvent défendre leurs intérêts à travers diverses formes d’actions.

This document focuses on the Synthesis report on Large-scale land based investments in Africa. The specific objective of the work is to prepare an assessment report on LSLBI in Africa with a view to building knowledge and drawing lessons based on best practices for future LSLBI deals that lead to win-win outcomes. In order to do so five regional assessments have been engaged in and are synthesized in this continental synthesis report.

This study investigates the attendant effect of unregulated land acquisition by governments and investment partners, forceful dispossession and displacement of individuals and communities in the era of globalization and wealth creation by increasingly capitalist regimes in southern Nigeria. The investigation of the trajectory of wealth and conflict resulting from this phenomenon is the key focus of this research.