Lunch lecture ‘Land Governance, Commercial Land Acquisition and Rural Development in Africa Some Observations from the Great Lakes Region’ by Dr. Chris Huggins, organized by LANDac and the Dutch Ministries of Economic and Foreign Affairs (by inviation only).

This is a time of rapid change in the agricultural sector in Africa, with the so-called ‘global land grab’ taking place against the backdrop of an African Union-backed Land Policy Guidelines process, efforts to bring about a Green Revolution for Africa, and rumblings of military or socio-political conflict in many countries. The Great Lakes Region of Africa offers a set of useful comparisons in terms of land governance, dispute resolution, commercial acquisition of land, and national approaches to food security.

Based on numerous research visits to the region since 2003, this presentation will use the contrasting examples of Rwanda and the D.R. Congo to illustrate some of the key challenges facing African governments, investors and the development partners today.

Dr. Chris Huggins is a researcher, lecturer and trainer with more than 16 years experience on land and natural resources rights in Africa, particularly the political economy of land and agricultural reform in post-conflict contexts. Chris is now Postdoctoral researcher within LANDac.