Your search found 9 records
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044917)
(0.64 MB) (672.56KB)
This paper examines the water dimensions of recent large-scale land acquisitions for biofuel production in the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo and Northern regions of Ghana. Using secondary sources of data complemented by individual and group interviews, the paper reveals an almost universal lack of consideration of the implications of large-scale land deals for crop water requirements, the ecological functions of freshwater ecosystems and water rights of local smallholder farmers and other users. It documents the factors responsible for this apparent oversight including the multiplicity of land and water governance systems, sharp sectoral boundaries between land and water policies, property rights and institutions, outdated statutes, poorly resourced and ineffective regulatory agencies, and unequal power relations in land acquisition deals. The paper shows that due to a lack of an approach that jointly considers land and water management policies and institutions in acceding to large-scale land deals, the benefits derived by local people were insufficient to cover the involuntary permanent loss of their water rights and livelihoods and the risks posed to ecosystem services. Options for establishing alternative institutional arrangements that will allow water availability, use and management as well as social and environmental standards to be factored, ex ante, into large-scale land deals are explored. The paper offers recommendations which can help the government to achieve its stated objective of developing a "policy framework and guidelines for large-scale land acquisitions by both local and foreign investors for biofuels that will protect the interests of investors and the welfare of Ghanaian farmers and landowners".
2 Kizito, Fred; Williams, Timothy Olalekan; McCartney, Matthew; Erkossa, Teklu. 2012. Green and blue water dimensions of foreign direct investment in biofuel and food production in West Africa: the case of Ghana and Mali. In Allan, T.; Keulertz, M.; Sojamo, S.; Warner, J. (Eds.). Handbook of land and water grabs in Africa: foreign direct investment and food and water security. London, UK: Routledge. pp.337-358.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G000 ALL Record No: H045553)
(1.31 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047274)
(0.41 MB)
The attainment of food and water security rank high on the agendas of governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although the objectives are similar, the underlying drivers, resource endowments and opportunities for achieving them are different. Differences between two regions in natural resource endowment and investment capital stock can, in theory, lead to mutually beneficial trade to achieve desired objectives. Concerns about the recent food crises coupled with the disparity in land and water endowment and investable capital between MENA and SSA have led in recent years to investment in agricultural land in the latter by a number of MENA countries with the aim of producing food. At the same time, many SSA countries seek these investments to infuse capital, technology and know-how into their agricultural sector to improve productivity, food security and rural livelihoods. However, these recent foreign direct agricultural investments have to date performed poorly or have been abandoned without achieving the initial objectives of setting them up. Based on research conducted in selected sub-Saharan countries, this paper analyses the reasons for the failure of these investments. It then reviews a few successful agricultural investments by private sector companies with a long history of operation in SSA. Juxtaposing lessons distilled from failed and successful case studies, the paper argues that large-scale agricultural investments that take advantage of this accumulated knowledge are needed and do have a critical role to play. Such investments, when they also incorporate ecosystems management practices and smallholder inclusive business models in their operations, can serve as appropriate instruments to reconcile the food and water security objectives of both the MENA region and SSA, while promoting sustainable intensification of agriculture and improved rural livelihoods in SSA.
4 Williams, Timothy Olalekan; Sidibe, Yoro. 2015. Can current land and water governance systems promote sustainable and equitable large-scale agricultural investments in sub-Saharan Africa? In Global Water Partnership (GWP); International Land Coalition (ILC); International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Proceedings of the Joint GWP-ILC-IWMI Workshop on Responding to the Global Food Security Challenge Through Coordinated Land and Water Governance, Pretoria, South Africa, 15-16 June 2015. Stockholm, Sweden: Global Water Partnership (GWP); Rome, Italy: International Land Coalition (ILC); Pretoria, South Africa: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 9p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047292)
(0.34 MB) (345 KB)
Ever since the oil, financial and food crises of 2008, sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed a marked increase in large-scale investment in agricultural land. The drivers of this investment are varied and include growing food, water and energy insecurity as well as social and economic interests of investors and recipient countries. The shape of these investments and their eventual outcomes are equally influenced by the existing land and water governance systems in the host countries. Based on fieldlevel research conducted in Ghana and Mali which covered six large-scale agricultural investments, this paper analyzes the current land and water governance systems in these two countries through the lens of land and water acquisition and initial outcomes. It highlights missed opportunities for sustainable and equitable large-scale agricultural land investments due to uncoordinated governance systems and failure to rigorously apply detailed rules and regulations that are already in place. It offers suggestions for revamping land and water governance to promote large-scale investments that will lead to equitable distribution of benefits and sustainable management of natural resources.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049739)
(103 MB)
6 Williams, Timothy Olalekan; Faures, J.-M.; Namara, R.; Snyder, K. 2020. Large-scale irrigated farming system: the potential and challenges to improve food security, livelihoods and ecosystem management. In Dixon, J.; Garrity, D. P.; Boffa, J.-M.; Williams, Timothy Olalekan; Amede, T.; Auricht, C.; Lott, R.; Mburathi, G. (Eds.). Farming systems and food security in Africa: priorities for science and policy under global change. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.423-449. (Earthscan Food and Agriculture Series)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049740)
(4.05 MB) (4.05 MB)
7 Dixon, J.; Boffa, J.-M.; Williams, Timothy Olalekan; de Leeuw, J.; Fischer, G.; van Velthuizen, H. 2020. Farming and food systems potentials. In Dixon, J.; Garrity, D. P.; Boffa, J.-M.; Williams, Timothy Olalekan; Amede, T.; Auricht, C.; Lott, R.; Mburathi, G. (Eds.). Farming systems and food security in Africa: priorities for science and policy under global change. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.535-561. (Earthscan Food and Agriculture Series)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049741)
(0.18 MB) (181 KB)
8 Dixon, J.; Garrity, D.; Mburathi, G.; Boffa, J.-M.; Amede, T.; Williams, Timothy Olalekan. 2020. Ways forward: strategies for effective science, investments and policies for African farming and food systems. In Dixon, J.; Garrity, D. P.; Boffa, J.-M.; Williams, Timothy Olalekan; Amede, T.; Auricht, C.; Lott, R.; Mburathi, G. (Eds.). Farming systems and food security in Africa: priorities for science and policy under global change. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.562-588. (Earthscan Food and Agriculture Series)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049742)
(1.90 MB) (1.90 MB)
9 Garrity, D.; Dixon, J.; Mburathi, G.; Williams, Timothy Olalekan; Amede, T. 2020. Conclusions: implementation of the farming systems approach for African food security. In Dixon, J.; Garrity, D. P.; Boffa, J.-M.; Williams, Timothy Olalekan; Amede, T.; Auricht, C.; Lott, R.; Mburathi, G. (Eds.). Farming systems and food security in Africa: priorities for science and policy under global change. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.589-598. (Earthscan Food and Agriculture Series)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049743)
(0.09 MB) (92.2 KB)
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