Shifts in the Land and Agrarian Question in Africa

The book offers a powerful and unflinching analysis of Africa’s agrarian crisis, framing land as both a site of global power struggle and internal elite exploitation resulting in dispossession, dehumanisation, and conflict at colonial-era levels. The poor remain trapped between predatory land deals and corrupt national systems, leading to dispossession, conflict, and violence reminiscent of colonial times. Rooted in the coloniality of power within land tenure and agrarian policies, he argues that this crisis isn’t driven by cultural factors, but by systemic failures that demand structural overhaul. Tendai Murisa charts the evolution of land grabbing from colonial to modern times, linking it to globalisation and misplaced development priorities. These land deals often prioritise mining, tourism, or export-oriented agriculture, sidelining local food security and rural development. He situates the current agrarian crisis within a historical and policy context, arguing that Africa’s food insecurity and rural poverty are deeply rooted in unresolved land questions, inadequate reforms, and external pressures. He argues that Africa’s reversal from food self-sufficiency to heavy import dependency results from insecure land tenure, policy inconsistencies, and underdeveloped financial systems—not from a lack of effort. The book underscores that agriculture was once seen as the cornerstone for economic transformation, but this vision has faded, with rural development and land reform falling off the policy agenda. He critiques short-term interventions and emphasises the need for holistic transformation through equitable land reforms, investment in smallholder agriculture, and a shift from food security to food sovereignty. Through a meticulous political economy and historical lens, Tendai Murisa underscores the critical role of land and agriculture in transforming economies, reducing inequality, and addressing global food insecurity. He calls for research-informed policies, participatory democracy, and long-term solutions that confront both historical and present-day injustices.
Ultimately, the book serves as a powerful call to reposition land and agrarian reform at the heart of Africa’s development agenda, viewing them as essential pillars for sustainable economic transformation and social justice.

Brian Tamuka Kagoro
Open Society Foundations