Understanding Local Communities' Land Rights in the Context of Large-Scale Land Acquisition

Context and background The widespread assumption that Africa possesses plenty of unutilized land has fueled pressure for Large-Scale Land Acquisitions (LSLAs) for agribusiness investments since the early 1990s, and Tanzania is no exception. Kilombero District has attracted significant interest in this regard as a significant share of the acquired land remains idle due to investors’ failure to utilize it, underscoring the need for further investigation. Goal and Objectives The overall purpose of this study is to examine the extent and implications of unutilized land acquired through LSLAs in Kilombero District. In achieving the goal this study uses thirteen large-scale agricultural farms to first examine how LSLAs for agricultural investments are done in compliance with the law, secondly studies the extent of land utilisation on acquired land, and finally investigates local communities' land rights protection when land is acquired for large-scale agricultural investments. Methodology The study adopted a mixed-methods design, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative data was collected through key informant interviews, while quantitative data came from questionnaires. Twenty nine (29) interviews were conducted with purposefully selected informants chosen for their roles and depth of knowledge. The survey employed an open-ended questionnaire administered to 150 villagers who had released land to investors. Respondents were selected using spatial random sampling based on their proximity to acquired land, with nearly 93.0% of villagers completing the questionnaire. Data from interviews was analyzed thematically, whereas information from the questionnaires was examined using simple descriptive statistics. Results The study revealed that although the legal framework governing land acquisition for large-scale investments is clear, its implementation remains weak. None of the selected investors fully utilized the acquired land due to factors such as delayed commencement of operations, changes in land use, land conflicts, financial constraints, and receivership. The study also identified violations of communities’ land rights, including inadequate land reserve for the villagers and failure to provide compensation. It recommends policy measures to establish alternative compensation mechanisms for affected communities and advocates for reforms that replace long-term leases with shorter-term renewable leases to improve accountability and land utilization.