Africa

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The Africa Regional Focal Point (RFP) covers the whole of the African continent, which is the most targeted region for large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) in the global south. The considerable differences across Africa in terms of scale, intention, and investors suggest that numerous aspects motivate the choice to invest here, including the perceived availability of land and other natural resources, geographical, cultural and historical reasons, and host country specifics such as policy support or market opportunities.

Country profiles

Country profiles present national-level data of large-scale land acquisitions and transactions including who the investors are, what the aim of the investment is, who the former owner was and what the land was previously used for, and what the potential benefits and impacts of the land deals are.

By making this information available, the Land Matrix hopes to enhance broad engagement and data exchange, facilitating the continuous improvement of the data. Find out how to get involved here .

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Country profile: Ghana

Since large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) cover less than 9% of Ghana’s 4.7 million hectares of arable land, it may not seem like they would have a significant impact on the country’s agricultural landscape. However, their impact in fact goes far beyond the land footprint only, through their use of water …

Zambia country profile

This detailed country profile presents the Land Matrix data for large-scale land acquisitions in Zambia.

Download it here.

Senegal country profile

This detailed country profile presents the Land Matrix data for large-scale land acquisitions in Senegal.

Download it here.

News & publications

Story map: How satellites can locate potential land grabs in Africa

This storyline gives an overview of current land grabbing databases, their lack of spatial information, and how remote sensing datasets can overcome this lack when being used to detect large scale agricultural production schemes.

View the story map here.

Land observatories, discourses and struggles beyond the smokescreen: A case study in Senegal

Authors: Quentin Grislain and Jeremy Bourgoin
Published: 2023
Source: Land Use Policy

Sub-Saharan Africa is confronted with land issues such as the private appropriation of farmland, land use conflicts, and access to land for women and younger generations. These diverse issues and the promotion of evidence-based policies encourage actors in …

Beyond land grabbing narratives, acknowledging patterns and regimes of land control in Senegal

Authors: Jeremy Bourgoin, Djibril Diop, Camille Jahel, Roberto Interdonato, and Quentin Grislain
Published: 2023
Source: Land Use Policy

This paper, co-authored by members of the Land Matrix, looks at how, despite a growing awareness, the patterns and regimes of dispossession are still subject to blind spots, due in part to …