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Large-Scale Land Deals and Local Livelihoods in Rwanda: The Bitter Fruit of a New Agrarian Model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2013

An Ansoms
An Ansoms*
Affiliation:
An Ansoms is an assistant professor at the Centre for Development Studies at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). Her research focuses on poverty and inequality in the Great Lakes Region, with particular attention to the challenges of rural development and pro-poor growth in land-scarce (post-)conflict environments. She is also interested in the problems related to large-scale land acquisitions and in the causes and consequences of the recent food crises. E-mail: an.ansoms@uclouvain.be
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Abstract:

In a context of globalization and liberalization, Africa is increasingly confronted with the commercialization of its space. Various large-scale actors, including international private investors, investor states, and local entrepreneurs, are constantly seeking to expand their land holdings for the production of food crops or biofuels. This article presents two Rwandan case studies and analyzes how large-scale land acquisition by foreign and local elite players affects local livelihoods. It identifies broader agrarian and social changes taking place in Rwanda and Africa and provides suggestions as to how the tables might be turned in order to protect local livelihoods in the further evolution of Rwanda’s agriculture.

Résumé:

Dans un contexte de mondialisation et de libéralisation, l’Afrique est de plus en plus à la commercialisation de son territoire. Plusieurs acteurs de grande échelle, y compris des investisseurs privés internationaux, des états investisseurs, et des entrepreneurs locaux cherchent constamment à agrandir leurs avoirs en terres pour y faire pousser des cultures ou extraire des combustibles naturels. Cet article présente deux cas d’étude au Rwanda et analyse comment l’acquisition de terres étendues par des figures de l’élite locale et étrangère impacte la subsistance des locaux. Cet article évoque les changements sociaux et agricoles plus larges ayant lieu au Rwanda et en Afrique, et offre des suggestions pour changer le cours des choses afin de protéger les moyens de subsistance des locaux dans l’évolution future de l’agriculture au Rwanda.

Keywords

Land grabbingagriculturepeasant livelihoodscentral AfricaRwanda
Type
ARTICLES
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 56 , Issue 3 , December 2013 , pp. 1 - 23
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2013 

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