Factors of vulnerability: How large-scale land acquisitions take advantage of local and national weaknesses in Sierra Leone |
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| Institution: | 1. Center for Sustainability Studies, Lund University (LUCSUS), Fingatan 10, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden;2. Department of Geography, Social Science Center, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada;1. Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China;2. Institute of Rural Development, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, P.R. China;3. College of Economics & Management, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, P.R. China;1. Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria;2. German Development Institute, Bonn, Germany;1. University of Bern, Centre for Development and Environment, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;2. University of Bern, Institute of Geography, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;1. Dipartimento di Scienze per l׳Economia e l׳Impresa, University of Florence, via delle Pandette, 9 50127 Firenze, Italy;2. Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Via dei Roccettini, 9 San Domenico di Fiesole, Firenze, Italy;3. Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, Piazza San Francesco, 7-8, Siena, Italy;1. The IS Academy of Land Governance, Hosted at the African Studies Centre, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands;2. St Mary''s University, PO Box 18490, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;3. African Studies Center, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands;4. Department of Human Geography, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | Enticing economic benefits for host nations and the notion of large areas of land considered available are often put forward as the main reasons for large-scale land acquisition in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. However, country-level datasets of land acquisitions seem to indicate a clear divide between a majority of countries engaged in land acquisitions as investors and those involved as targets. We posit that there are socio-economic and governance factors that make the engagement between targets of land acquisitions and investors both unequal and attractive to large-scale investments. We then ask the question: what are the factors that make communities vulnerable to an unequal engagement with large-scale land-investing interests in Sierra Leone? We explore this question using local-level socio-economic data of households and communities in two settings where land acquisitions have occurred in Sierra Leone. We find that socio-economic characteristics of local populations, such as levels of education, the powerful role of traditional chiefs and corruption, make these areas easier targets for such land investments. Investors also exploit the poor economic situation of local areas by making alluring promises of development opportunities. The vulnerability of local people to land investors is further undermined by poor governance at the national level and external politico-financial interest in favor of such investments. Local populations are vulnerable to organized campaigns of land acquisitions by multi-national companies. Proper legal and institutional frameworks are required to protect local interests in these land deals. |
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| Keywords: | Land acquisitions FPIC Social protections Local rights Livelihoods Land governance |
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