In the wake of global problems such as growing water scarcity, increasing demand for food and climate change affecting arable land and its productivity, private companies and governmental institutions around the world are purchasing land in developing countries. The boom in the acquisition of arable land in Africa by foreign, private as well as public institutions has sparked an international debate by international institutions, nongovernmental groups and independent development experts.
At present, there is an ongoing debate on whether the transfer of land from local farmers to foreign investors presents the continent an opportunity for development or an agrarian colonialism. The global initiative is being taken in this regard and the World Bank and the United Nations are developing codes of conduct for foreign land acquisition. Also the African Union’s draft “Framework and guidelines on land policy in Africa” was adopted in July 2009.
The Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) with purpose of identifying informed strategies that make “land grab” a win-win agreement for both the land buying and selling countries and a vehicle for social, political and economic development of the latter, is launching a research project.
OSSREA invites researchers to submit proposals for providing research grant to successful applicants to conduct studies on the aforementioned and related issues.
Objectives
– To analyze the role of the different actors, key trends and drivers in land acquisitions, the contractual arrangements and the negotiations underpinning existing foreign direct investment (FDI) for land acquisitions in Eastern and Southern Africa;
– To examine the opportunities and challenges of land acquisition for economic development, poverty reduction (food security, social cohesion, land access for rural people), and environment sustainability in Eastern and Southern Africa;
– To suggest policies and strategies to ensure that what has been termed the “land grab” becomes a vehicle for rural development, taking into account the interests of the host countries, local communities, and international cooperation, rather than a new form of “agrarian colonialism” and a source of social instability.
Eligibility Criteria:
– Applicants should be nationals of countries of Eastern and Southern Africa and should be based in a research and higher learning institution.
– Applicants must hold at least a Masters degree in the social sciences from an accredited institution.
– Applicants from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique and Sudan are highly encouraged as these are the countries where land deals with foreign firms are observed.
Budget:
The budget for the proposed research should not exceed US$ 10,000 and may be used to cover actual research costs (e.g., local travel and subsistence, supplies, acquisition of documents, photocopying, etc.) and honorarium for the researcher(s). Researchers should provide break-down of the budget in local currency and US dollars (describe each item and indicate how it is related to the research project):
Last date for submitting the proposal is July 30, 2011. For more information and details, please visit this link.
