Land provides the basis for agriculture and animal husbandry, which are integral features of income generation and food production in Africa. Population growth and land degradation place demands on land resources that can lead to and increase conflict. Traditional land management systems are coming under increasing pressure.

Secure access to land is fundamental for food security, income generation and agriculture for poor people throughout Africa. However, increasing demands on available land means that many Africans have insecure access to land. Ownership rights are often weak and insecure, with traditional and customary land rights being rapidly diminished. Land rights are often linked to ethnic identity, economic and political power, and thus are a key issue for many African governments today.

The 2004 Land in Africa Conference in London, UK, brought together ministers, researchers and land professionals from Africa, Europe and America to debate property rights, secure land access and food security in Africa. The conference highlighted that secure land rights are critical for peace, stability and economic growth.

Key findings from the conference include:

• Land reform and tenure security require dedicated and long-term governmental support.
• Land access and tenure security must be included in economic and political policy agendas to secure property rights for both poor and rich people.
• Commitments to the good governance of land and tenure security are fundamental to peace and security within and between communities.
• Innovation in the management of land rights provides new and diverse ways of maintaining land tenure security.
• Women’s rights to land are particularly vulnerable and policies need to promote gender inclusion. The high rate of deaths from HIV/AIDS makes women increasingly vulnerable to land dispossession, following the death of their spouse.
• Decentralised systems of land administration provide a good basis from which to develop national approaches to land rights management.

Land access is central to poverty reduction strategies and is a key issue in both urban and rural areas. The Conference calls for sustained inter-governmental commitment and recommends the following policy changes:

• Land issues require a more central position in policy dialogue and poverty reduction strategies throughout Africa.
• Successfully tackling the challenges of land reform in Africa is a long-term process requiring consistent commitment. Short-term interventions can be counterproductive and damaging.
• Land reforms must develop from within individual countries, recognising the complexity and diversity within and between countries. No single solution can be applied across the continent.
• Donor agencies can provide valuable technical support for reorganising land administration systems, making these systems more accessible for poor, less educated people and more accountable to all land users for the decisions they make.
• Building and sharing models of land rights across communities can help to develop a plan for encouraging good practice and developing new institutions.

Source(s):
‘Land In Africa - Market asset or secure livelihood? Summary of conclusions from the Land in Africa Conference’, Summary of conclusions from the Land in Africa Conference held in London, November 8-9, 2004 Full document.

Funded by: The conference was organised by the following: International Institute for Environment and Development, UK; Natural Resources Institute, UK; Royal African Society, UK

id21 Research Highlight: 9 February 2006

Further Information:
Camilla Toulmin
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
3 Endsleigh Street
London, WC1H 0DD
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 207 388 2117
Fax: +44 (0) 207 388 2826
Contact the contributor: Camilla.Toulmin@iied.org

International Institute for Environment and Development, UK

Natural Resources Institute, UK

Royal African Society, UK

Other related links:
'New frameworks for managing common land: lessons from South Africa'

'Reforming land ownership: do market-based approaches work?'

'Land access in conflict situations: can sustainable livelihoods play a role?'

'Sharing the land: why do the Maasai split up group ranches?'

'Customary land delivery practices in African urban areas'