Event Title
2011 South South Forum on Sustainability
Start Date
12-12-2011 2:00 PM
End Date
12-12-2011 3:30 PM
Language
English
Description
Thandika Mkandawire reminded us during the 13th CODESRIA GA that land and the agrarian question were present in some way in all the nationalist movements, and liberation struggles the Mau Mau in Kenya, the FLN’s struggles in Algeria, the PAIGC in Guinea Bissau, other struggles in Zimbabwe, South Africa, etc. We know that apartheid South Africa was the story of dispossession—(Pheko)—the reverse
movement in South Africa—re-distribution—is extremely slow.
So, land has been a very strategic issue, and it is still a very strategic issue.
There is currently what some have called a “grain rush”, as “wealthy, foodimporting countries and private investors are acquiring farmland overseas” (Michael Kugelman, 2010:1); something similar to what used to be called the “gold rush”. This is a phenomenon that one finds all across the global South, but Africa is where much of the rush is heading towards, which makes some people talk about a new “scramble “ for Africa—adding on to the struggle over mineral, FOREST, AND MARINE RESOURCES.
Document Type
Conference
Recommended Citation
Sall, E. (2011, December). African economy and land policy. Paper presented at 2011 South South Forum on Sustainability, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
Included in
Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Growth and Development Commons, Other International and Area Studies Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons
African economy and land policy
Thandika Mkandawire reminded us during the 13th CODESRIA GA that land and the agrarian question were present in some way in all the nationalist movements, and liberation struggles the Mau Mau in Kenya, the FLN’s struggles in Algeria, the PAIGC in Guinea Bissau, other struggles in Zimbabwe, South Africa, etc. We know that apartheid South Africa was the story of dispossession—(Pheko)—the reverse
movement in South Africa—re-distribution—is extremely slow.
So, land has been a very strategic issue, and it is still a very strategic issue.
There is currently what some have called a “grain rush”, as “wealthy, foodimporting countries and private investors are acquiring farmland overseas” (Michael Kugelman, 2010:1); something similar to what used to be called the “gold rush”. This is a phenomenon that one finds all across the global South, but Africa is where much of the rush is heading towards, which makes some people talk about a new “scramble “ for Africa—adding on to the struggle over mineral, FOREST, AND MARINE RESOURCES.