Agrarian reforms in Africa 1980–2016: solution or evolution of the agrarian question?

Abstract

The first period of agrarian reforms with clear state control over the land (African socialisms) took place between 1945 and 1980, but then a second period started in which market agrarian reforms have prevailed. This work synthesizes agrarian structural reform policies (property systems and land tenure) between 1980 and 2016 in African countries, especially those that had or have bureaucratic bourgeoisie governments (one-party and/or African socialist). The two periods are complementary, rather then being opposed to each other, as state agrarian reforms smoothed the path to market agrarian reforms. Although there is not yet sufficient empirical research on the results of the agrarian reforms implemented during this period, our hypothesis is that they are helping to: increase the unequal structure of property; develop tenure systems and non-capitalist contractual labour relations in new ways, both non-associative (the grabbing of vast tracts of land) and associative (renewed control of customary lands by traditional authorities); and force peasant expropriation and the subsequent increase in the number of landless non-proletarianized peasants. Therefore, the problem of poor agrarian structures in Africa is still unresolved.

Political Agroecology in Senegal: Historicity and Repertoires of Collective Actions of an Emerging Social Movement

“…The Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context appears particularly instructive in terms of critically appreciating the tensions between these three policy approaches. Most agricul-tural policies in SSA still strive to achieve the Green Revolution and implement neo-liberal measures in favor of industry and export [34,35]. In this context, the competition between Green Revolution techniques and innovative agroecological practices places small-scale farmers in a difficult position [36].…”

“…In this context, the central government representing the state is a big player, as it is the only actor with formal ownership and can easily use national priority statutes for expropriation. Since the 1990s, several cases of large-scale land acquisitions, mainly in the Senegal River valley, have given rise to community upsurge and serious conflicts with large companies [34,35]. At least 700,000 hectares were leased to foreign investors from 2000 to 2011 [54].…”

Introduction: Drastic Rural Changes in the Age of Land Reform

“…This type of land reform has prevailed since the 1990s. Its proliferation is surprising because more than 40 African countries have revised or newly created land-related laws or have attempted to do so (Martín et al 2019).…”

“…More than 40 sub-Saharan African countries revised or created new land-related laws or prepared land-related bills during this period. In addition, some countries, including Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, conducted redistributive land reforms (Martín et al 2019). Generally, these reforms have been achieved with the assistance of Western donors.…”

“…The second reason is that focussing on land reform, particularly land tenure reform, will make comparisons among case studies effective and meaningful, because African land reforms since the 1990s have been conspicuous not only in terms of the number of countries that have undertaken them, but also in the similarity of their objectives (Martín et al 2019). In fact, land tenure reforms in this period have attempted to clarify and strengthen the land rights of users.…”