Land & Investments

Global concerns about fossil fuel prices and climate change have directed focus on prospects of biofuels. In Ghana, large-scale biofuel development has been entangled with several problems including disputes over land use and a combination of challenges such as low yield performance of Jatropha, food versus oilseed prices and financial viability issues.

 ABSTARCTA common limiting factor to the development of agriculture on the continent is the amorphous land administration laws and practices which in certain locations, is dominated by traditional administration and inheritance among an ever-increasing population, leading to fragmentation of available land with little available for commercial agriculture.Using desk reviews of previous studies,

Different government institutions in Ethiopia working on land related issues tackle and manage data and information independently, while their activities and mandates are often related or even overlapping.

This paper aims to explore implications of large-scale land investment for local citizenship, with a particular focus on customs and mobility. The concept of local citizenship is a neglected aspect of land investment debates.

There is a gap between land tenure and the physical land giving room for impersonation, multiple allocation and sale of plots, loss of possession, land racketeering and fraud through forgery. Hence, the need to identify unambiguously parties involved in land transactions so that the root of title can be traced to ensure tenure security.

Rwanda has undertaken a land registration and titling program since 2008 with a registration of 10.3 million land parcels in 2013. The aim of this paper is to investigate the early effects of the program on tenure security and agricultural investments since few studies have been carried out in this research area.

This paper explores the impact of large-scale agricultural investment on household livelihood outcomes among smallholder farmers in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. The study used qualitative and quantitative data from a sample of 376 households. Quantitative data analysis employed independent samples t-test and multiple linear regressions.

 Population increase influence the dynamics in land market and agitate land access competition, which results into exclusion of some individuals. Inequality is evident in majority of Tanzanians women, youth, children and elderly. It is more prevalence in land markets where rich individuals are favorable to make choices regarding access to land resources.

Despite a comprehensive regulatory framework on land matters, compulsory land acquisition in Tanzania has been associated with complaints and delays in compensation payments an indication that good governance principles might not be under serious consideration.

Issues surrounding customary land governance reforms remain at the forefront of policy reforms in many African countries because of concern over discriminatory rules of access, exchange, and inheritance, corruption, elite capture, and illegal land occupations, (Arko Adjei, 2009).

To address food insecurity, the Government of Ethiopia embarked on a rapid transformation in the agriculture sector to increase production, productivity, market access and create employment opportunities by promoting large scale agricultural investment projects. However, progress towards achieving set objectives has been rather limited so far due to various challenges.

Compulsory land acquisition tool facilitates obtaining of land for provision of infrastructures and development projects. Its successful implementation requires adoption of good governance merits such as participation, transparency, rule of law and accountability for better livelihood rebuilding of project affected people.