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Article

17 Mar 2014

Author:
Paul Frimpong, in Joy Online (Ghana)

Burst and Bubble: the scramble for Africa’s land, who benefits?

Africa is in the period of witnessing one of the biggest transfers of lands in its history. Foreign investors are leasing hundreds of thousands of hectares of farm lands to giant agro-business firms...Recent trends in the land sector have shown remarkable increases in land transactions in customary land areas. Typically, the commoditization of land and the disposal of large tracts of land for investments pose increasing threats to customary land rights holders. Evidence suggests a marked increase in the rate of dispossession being experienced by customary rights holders and the non-compliance to the principles of free, prior and informed consent. The requirements for the payment of fair, adequate and prompt compensation to those who have been dispossessed of their rights have not been enforced adequately. This trend has serious implications for rural incomes and livelihood, food security, environmental management, sustainable natural resource management and distortions in social identity and social organization.