Magister Philosophiae - MPhil (LAS) (Land and Agrarian Studies)

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Browsing by Subject "Agrarian reform"

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    Informal land markets in Rural Mozambique: the case of Mogovolas District in Nampula Province
    (University of the Western Cape, 2009) Junior, Tomas Manhicane; Lahiff, Edward; NULL; Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences
    The challenge of alleviating poverty, especially of the rural poor, is a universal one. Mozambique is also faced with this challenge as well the challenge of redressing the inequality exacerbated by civil war. Among the many strategies suggested for addressing poverty is improving poor people’s access to land. In Mozambique, all land is owned by the state, yet informal land markets do exist. A theoretical review of the models on informal markets in developing countries reveals that economy of rural family depend greatly on land resources, and that often formalisation of land markets leads to land concentration and speculation rather than to the promotion of economic development. The overall objective of the study was to analyse the economic, institutional and social dynamics and determinants of informal land markets in rural Mozambique and how they impact on the livelihoods of poor people. Due to the largely unexplored nature of the topic, this study is exploratory and descriptive in nature. Research methods included a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. To achieve these objectives, a strategy comprising two approaches was used. Firstly, a theoretical review was undertaken, to discuss both international and African debate on informal land markets models with regard to different views on Mozambican informal land markets. This theoretical review also covered the political economy of land in Mozambique. Secondly, empirical evidence was systematized in the form of a case study of the perceptions of determinants on informal land markets that was undertaken in Mogovolas district. The lack of clear policy regarding the informal land market in Mozambique produced a complex range of problems, between local people, between locals and new investors, between new investors, and between all these groups and the state. The large majority of smaller localised conflicts were, and continue to be, resolved by traditional authorities and local social-control mechanisms. Conflicts between local people and investors have proved much more complex. The role of the state has been unclear from the start and the state is still dysfunctional due to a lack of transparency, inefficiency, and corruption in management of land.
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    Pro-poor value chain governance in the mtateni irrigation scheme at Tugela ferry, Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal
    (2013) Buthelezi, Thokozile Cynthia; Cousins, Benjamin
    This study explored value-chain governance in the Tugela Ferry Irrigation Scheme in KwaZulu-Natal, and presents data on input markets, vegetable production and output markets. Rural poverty is a major problem in post-apartheid South Africa, and smallholder agriculture has been identified by the Economic Development Department as a key component of its New Growth Path framework. Some scholars argue that since water is a scarce resource, irrigation farming should form a key focus of pro-poor land redistribution policy. The 1994 democratic dispensation saw the dismantling of the agricultural homeland parastatals which managed these schemes, causing them to collapse or near collapse. Yet they may have the potential to reduce rural poverty. While markets are key for viable production of fresh produce, some scholars assert that globally, input suppliers, food processors and supermarkets dominate the agro-food industry resulting in negative outcomes for smallholder producers. In South Africa, four major supermarkets (which together claim 55% of retail market share) were in the past located mainly in cities, but the trend now is that they are moving to small towns and townships. There are documented cases where pro-poor governance of fresh produce value chains has resulted in positive outcomes in South Africa. The re-governing markets concept which postulates that a multi-stakeholder approach to making the governance of agricultural value chains pro-poor, is offered as a solution to reducing poverty. This thesis argues that the incorporation of smallholder farmers into modern markets remains ineffective in dealing with poverty because it includes only a few smallholder farmers and those included face exclusion when they are exposed to harsh market conditions.