Resource information
This paper discusses the role of FAO support to the Government of Mozambiques Land Commission since 1995, through three consecutive projects. While each has had a relatively short duration, all have been planned and implemented within a single conceptual framework with a much longer time horizon. This has allowed a difficult and complex issue to be progressively developed and nurtured within a realistic time scale, while building up a strong sense of national ownership of the process. The paper argues that FAO support has played a pivotal role in opening up debate to new ideas, at a time when thinking about land issues needed a radical stimulus. It was also instrumental in bringing non-agricultural government departments, national and international non-governmental organizations and academic specialists fully into the legislative and implementation programmes. The result of this combined effort is an innovative and progressive policy and legislative framework supported by a wide range of groups that often have conflicting interests when it comes to land access and use
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Readers requiring more detailed information concerning this bulletin or articles therein should write to the Editor, Land Reform, Land Settlement and Cooperatives, Rural Development Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. The opinions expressed in this document are the personal views of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of FAO.
