Land Reform : land settlement and cooperatives 1998/2

Abstract

For a number of years, FAO’s Land Tenure Service has sought to contribute to the debate on the basis of acceptance that agrarian societies are diverse and that solutions must come directly from those concerned and not derive from external visions bearing little resemblance to local realities. The refusal to accept an “easy” answer to the land issue does not, however, mean that we should not explore ways of taking the matter forward. This volume sets out to facilitate the debate by suggesting a m ethodological itinerary that has four distinct stages: •general understanding of the issue; •in-depth analysis, requiring appropriate methodological tools; •elaboration of appropriate measures, using a participatory approach; •ongoing monitoring to introduce any modifications needed as country and regional situations change. Often, we must turn to agrarian history if we are to understand the deep-rooted origins of an agrarian issue – a lesson taught to us by Marc Bloch and his disciples. The fir st articles take up this theme: C. Kay provides a stimulating historical account of agrarian reform in Latin America; P. Mathieu, S. Mugangu Matabaro and A. Mafikiri Tsongo share their reflections on one of the bloodiest conflicts of recent years, that of the Great Lakes Region in Africa; and G. Ciparisse analyses the historical evolution of land access rights in sub-Saharan Africa. These three articles all emphasize the notion of complexity and the intricate web of factors which produces a some times explosive mix of agrarian reform.