It has been a busy year with our research on 25 years after land reform in Zimbabwe. Biographical interviews have been undertaken with around 100 people from our long-term sample, exploring changes over time, and the 2025 survey was undertaken … Continue reading → …
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ZimbabweLand
Two new booklets: young people and small towns in Zimbabwe’s land reform areas
To complement this ongoing blog and the various academic outputs we produce from the research, we always try and produce some colour booklets on themes emerging from our research for wide sharing. The booklets draw from our blogs, and have … Continue reading → …
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Joint ventures in land reform areas: a solution to failing medium-scale farms in Zimbabwe?
As noted in the previous blog, there are a number of new land arrangements emerging on A2 farms under the (very) broad label of ‘joint ventures’. Some 2500 joint ventures have been formally registered across the country to date. This … Continue reading → …
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New forms of commercial agriculture on A2 land reform farms in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe
The high potential areas of Mvurwi in Mazowe district should be the focus for significant commercial agricultural success on the A2 farms as envisaged in the government’s land reform strategy. There is reliable rainfall, good soils, excellent connections to markets, … Continue reading → …
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Medium-scale resettlement farms in Masvingo and Gutu districts in Zimbabwe: what has happened since 2000?
Our sample of 50 A2 farms across Gutu and Masvingo districts range from the ‘highveld’ grazing areas to the north of Gutu to the peri-urban areas of Mpandawana and Masvingo. There is huge diversity and no simple story. As in … Continue reading → …
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New types of ranching on medium-scale land reform farms in Matobo, Zimbabwe
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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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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