Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali

In recent years, large-scale agricultural investment projects have increased in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the growing appetites of local and international investors for land resources. Research has so far mainly focused on land issues, but the water implications of these land deals are start...

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Autores principales: Hertzog, T., Adamczewski, A., Molle, Francois, Poussin, Jean-Christophe, Jamin, Jean-Yves
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34581
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author Hertzog, T.
Adamczewski, A.
Molle, Francois
Poussin, Jean-Christophe
Jamin, Jean-Yves
author_browse Adamczewski, A.
Hertzog, T.
Jamin, Jean-Yves
Molle, Francois
Poussin, Jean-Christophe
author_facet Hertzog, T.
Adamczewski, A.
Molle, Francois
Poussin, Jean-Christophe
Jamin, Jean-Yves
author_sort Hertzog, T.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In recent years, large-scale agricultural investment projects have increased in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the growing appetites of local and international investors for land resources. Research has so far mainly focused on land issues, but the water implications of these land deals are starting to surface. Taking the Office du Niger (ON), in Mali, as a case study, it is shown that while around 100,000 ha is currently being cultivated, mostly by smallholders, a total of 600,000 ha of land has been allocated in the past ten years to investors in large-scale farming. This process has largely bypassed the official procedure established by the ON at regional level. The allocation of new lands has shifted to the national level, with an attempt to recentralize the management of land deals and associated benefits at the highest level, despite contrary efforts by foreign donors to strengthen the ON. This article describes the complex allocation process based on 'behind-closed-doors' negotiations. It then analyses the implications of the land deals on water issues by focusing on the strategies of actors to limit the risk of future water shortages, the current and expected difficulties in water management and allocation, and the emerging spatial and social redistribution of benefits and risk that signals a process of water grabbing.
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spelling CGSpace345812023-09-23T17:57:17Z Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali Hertzog, T. Adamczewski, A. Molle, Francois Poussin, Jean-Christophe Jamin, Jean-Yves land resources investment land ownership land access large scale farming water availability resource allocation water management In recent years, large-scale agricultural investment projects have increased in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the growing appetites of local and international investors for land resources. Research has so far mainly focused on land issues, but the water implications of these land deals are starting to surface. Taking the Office du Niger (ON), in Mali, as a case study, it is shown that while around 100,000 ha is currently being cultivated, mostly by smallholders, a total of 600,000 ha of land has been allocated in the past ten years to investors in large-scale farming. This process has largely bypassed the official procedure established by the ON at regional level. The allocation of new lands has shifted to the national level, with an attempt to recentralize the management of land deals and associated benefits at the highest level, despite contrary efforts by foreign donors to strengthen the ON. This article describes the complex allocation process based on 'behind-closed-doors' negotiations. It then analyses the implications of the land deals on water issues by focusing on the strategies of actors to limit the risk of future water shortages, the current and expected difficulties in water management and allocation, and the emerging spatial and social redistribution of benefits and risk that signals a process of water grabbing. 2012 2013-11-21T05:04:46Z 2014-02-02T16:39:50Z 2013-11-21T05:04:46Z 2014-02-02T16:39:50Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34581 en Open Access application/pdf Hertzog, T.; Adamczewski, A.; Molle, Francois; Poussin, J.-C.; Jamin, J.-Y. 2012. Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali. Water Alternatives, 5(2):304-321.
spellingShingle land resources
investment
land ownership
land access
large scale farming
water availability
resource allocation
water management
Hertzog, T.
Adamczewski, A.
Molle, Francois
Poussin, Jean-Christophe
Jamin, Jean-Yves
Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali
title Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali
title_full Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali
title_fullStr Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali
title_full_unstemmed Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali
title_short Ostrich-like strategies in Sahelian sands?: land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali
title_sort ostrich like strategies in sahelian sands land and water grabbing in the office du niger mali
topic land resources
investment
land ownership
land access
large scale farming
water availability
resource allocation
water management
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34581
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