Abstract
This chapter explores the historical and systemic dynamics of the new scramble for Africa, as well as the current land-grabbing patterns and agents. It is argued that, despite the emergence of new competitors from the South, the key drivers of the scramble remain the Western monopolies and their state patrons, in the context of terminal systemic crisis and transition. It is also argued that the scramble has set off new structural tendencies on the continent, which are transforming Africa’s trajectory in the twenty-first century. The tendencies point towards a convergence of economic and social characteristics among the regions, within the overall trend of intensified marginalization and subordinate integration into the world economy. Yet, new forms of resistance have also emerged, from the local to the national and regional levels, which have made concrete and substantial advances, especially in Southern Africa.
Sam Moyo (1954–2015)
This paper was first presented by Sam Moyo at the Round Table Dialogue on ‘Land Reform, Land Grabbing and Agricultural Development in Africa in the Twenty-first Century’, 17–18 June 2013, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The authors are grateful to Ndabezinhle Nyoni, Steve Mberi and Tatenda Matengu of the Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies (AIAS) for their research assistance.
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Notes
- 1.
By the turn of the century, about 200 million ha (32% of the suitable area) were being cultivated and 30% of the total land area (892 million ha) was under permanent pasture (FAOSTAT 2001).
- 2.
For an elaboration of the concept of ‘functional dualism’, see de Janvry (1981).
- 3.
The junker path, generally of landlords turned capitalists, has its variants in the white-settler societies of Southern Africa and today operates in tandem with transnational capital (Moyo and Yeros 2005).
- 4.
A merchant path consists of non-rural capital, including merchant capital, petty bourgeois elements, bureaucrats, military personnel and professionals who gain access to land. They farm on a smaller scale than capitalist farms but are integrated into export markets and global agro-industry (Moyo and Yeros 2005).
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Moyo, S., Jha, P., Yeros, P. (2019). The Scramble for Land and Natural Resources in Africa. In: Moyo, S., Jha, P., Yeros, P. (eds) Reclaiming Africa. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5840-0_1
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