The A2 farms in Matobo are in some of the most remote parts of the district. These are predominantly livestock farming areas, with cattle being the dominant livestock type. Getting to these areas in the rainy season requires a four-wheel … Continue reading → …
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ZimbabweLand
Zimbabwe’s medium-scale farms: challenges and opportunities in A2 land reform areas
Zimbabwe’s new agrarian structure arose out of a political deal during the land reform of 2000 when land was allocated to both smallholders (A1 areas) and medium-scale farms (A2). A2 farms were created in order to accommodate elites’ interest in … Continue reading → …
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Is the end of sanctions on Zimbabwe near?
The publication of a US congressional bill to guide foreign policy on September 11th has offered hope to Zimbabweans that the draconian ZDERA (the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, 2001) legislation may be repealed. This could see the end … Continue reading → …
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South African confusions over land reform
As followers of this blog will know, I have recently been in South Africa where debates about land reform provoke strong reactions, particular when Zimbabwe is mentioned. At the end of August, President Ramaphosa offered some remarks at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show on the importance of land reform. The comments seemed unremarkable. He said that … … Continue reading → …
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Why land redistribution must be central to human flourishing in an era of extreme inequality
Land redistribution is not the flavour of the month. Many see it as impossible, an idealistic position more suited to the 1950s and 60s. Yet in an era of extreme inequality, when land concentration continues to intensify and livelihoods are … Continue reading → …
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Rethinking disaster risk reduction
Today is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has recently published the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025, which estimates that the true cost of disasters is nearly $2.3 trillion. This year’s … Continue reading → …
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The politics of land: introducing an important new collection
Land is central to contemporary debates about politics as anyone in Zimbabwe knows well. Land sustains the livelihoods of millions through farming, livestock keeping, hunting and collecting. Such livelihoods are intimately bound up with nature, and the complex and diverse … Continue reading → …
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Towards ICARRD+20: debating land, life and society in Cape Town
Next week several hundred participants from across the world will gather in Cape Town for a global conversation about the politics of land and resource struggles at the Land, Life and Society conference. The event is hosted by the Institute … Continue reading → …
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Debating uncertainty: from a politics of control to a politics of care
I recently discussed my book, Navigating Uncertainty: Radical Rethinking for a Turbulent World, now a year old, with the New Books Network podcast. The host was Morteza Hajizadeh who asked a set of great questions over an extended discussion. We … Continue reading → …
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Why working with – not against – the informal economy is essential: some lessons from Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s national statistical agency, ZimStat, recently reported that 76% of the national economy is informal. This should be of no surprise to anyone, but what to do about it is the big question troubling policymakers. We know the causes: failure … Continue reading → …
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