New Scramble for Africa: Is her land safe?

Guest post by: Eileen Wakesho, Oxfam International

Recent years have seen an increased demand for African land in order to expand agriculture, exploration of natural resources, biofuels and mega development including infrastructural projects. From former colonies to emerging powers like China, Japan and South Korea, it appears everyone wants to have a share of the natural resources that the continent has been endowed with. Arezki, Denininger and Selod (2012) argue that a country’s attractiveness to foreign investors correlates directly to its amount of uncultivated land and its potential to generate sufficient output. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 60 percent of the world’s arable land, but the narrative of ‘ideal land’ is one perpetuated by those keen to position the continent for foreign investment. A recent report on International Land Deals for Agriculture (2016) indicates that 422 agricultural deals have been recently concluded (42% of all global deals) for 10 million hectares on the continent. The report also highlights that Africa has the highest number of intended deals: 147 future deals accounting for 13.2 million hectares. This highlights the importance of addressing the question of land rights on the continent as soon as possible.

The concluded and intended deals have been accompanied by a consistent Western development narrative about the benefits of large scale land investments, including job creation, improving access to markets, infrastructure development and improving livelihoods. However, research indicates otherwise; in many cases, there are numerous examples of widespread alienation of communities from their lands and a marginalisation of small farmers (a majority of whom are women) among other negative effects, that outweigh the net benefits of land acquisitions. The risks are more pronounced among women especially because issues around land tenure and security for women on the continent are yet to be resolved by national governments. Large land acquisitions therefore further exacerbate existing vulnerabilities of women in matters related to land rights. Large scale land acquisitions further disempower women as they lead to greater food and water insecurity and childcare burdens, which affect women’s capabilities to engage in other economic activities.

Since women are not a homogeneous group, the impact of land loss differs among them, with widows and single women being the most affected. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), through its gender and land database, reports that of 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where data on land ownership in available, women have fewer rights to land than men—including both documented as well as perceived ownership. It is important to appreciate that a huge chunk of Africa’s land is held under customary law, which in most countries is acknowledged but not protected by formal law, and hence is vulnerable to large-scale acquisitions.

In responding to the increased demand for land, African heads of state and governments adopted the “Guiding principles on Large Scale Land Based Investment in Africa” in 2009. The guiding principles offer guidance to member states in ensuring investments in land are beneficial to the member states and key stakeholders and allow for meaningful engagement in decision making for women and men. This principle, together with other Africa Union commitments, are steps towards the right direction, however, the realisation in practise must be accompanied by political good will and a genuine commitment by leaders to see a transformed continent.

So, is Africa prepared to protect her land in the wake of the New Scramble?

Agenda 2063, the African Union’s ambitious development blue print documents seven aspirations of the “Africa We Want.” Cognisant of the glaring gender inequalities, aspiration One, Three and Six speak on inclusive development, respect to human rights and people-driven development. An analysis of the current flagship projects under the Agenda 2063 seems to ignore the massive land acquisitions and fails to reaffirm and prioritise securing land tenure for women and men in all the projects. The continent’s blueprint however envisages that all obstacles relating to women’s owning and inheriting property will be removed by the year 2023 under its key transformational outcomes. Aspiration Six seeks to realize an Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of Africans, particularly women and youth and those caring for children. To realise this, it sets a target of at least 20 percent of rural women having access to and controlling productive resources by 2023. The domestication and implementation both global and continental women’s rights instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Protocol of the Rights of Women in Africa are amongst the strategies put forward by the continental development blueprint to realise gender equality in all spheres under aspiration number Six.

Beyond Agenda 2063, the continent does not seem to have a collective strategy on how to best harness massive global interest while safeguarding the continent’s riches for its citizens. This places individual countries on their own and exposes member states to be ruled by individual interests at the expense of women and children in Africa.  Development blueprints are obsolete where political will is wanting and checks and balances are inadequate. A scan through many of the countries’ histories highlights the existence of political elites who have captured the state machinery and are keen to position themselves in the new scramble for individual gain. The citizenry’s “withdrawal” from the state; especially the middle class, is not helping the push for accountability among duty bearers.

Which way out? In repositioning the continent and protecting its wealth, we must re-ignite an inclusive citizenry movement that must sustain the demand for recognition and protection of Africa’s land rights. Additionally, voices of both women and men must inform decisions on all land acquisitions, because they directly affect their lives and livelihoods.

Featured image caption: Women working on a field in Kolda, Senegal. Photo Source: OXFAM 

About the Author: Eileen Wakesho

Eileen is currently the Women Land Rights Advisor at Oxfam International where she focuses on carrying out influencing work that draws on national work and grassroots women’s experiences and leads to greater attention to women’s land and property rights in all relevant policy arenas globally. Prior to joining Oxfam, Eileen worked with Kenya Land Alliance, Development Policy Management Forum (DPMF) and Kenya Institute for Public Policy, Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) focusing on women land rights, land governance and land and conflicts. She has co-authored a peer reviewed book on informal justice mechanisms and formal courts in Kenya and Engagement with Local Communities: Land and Conflict. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi and a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. She is alumni of Landesa’s Women Land Rights Visiting Professionals Program in the USA and Sydney’s Law School Gender and Transitional Justice Fellowship.