Impact of land tenure reforms in Mali on smallholder farmers

What is it about?

Equitable land access and security is vital in a country like Mali, where the majority of the population are smallholder farmers. However, after several land tenure reforms in the country, conflicts and food insecurity are common because the country practises land tenure dualism, where both customary and statutory laws co-exist in determining land ownership. We evaluate the impact of the so-called pro-poor land tenure reforms on smallholder farmers and discuss why they have not been able to reduce poverty as intended.

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Photo by Deepak kumar on Unsplash

Photo by Deepak kumar on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We discuss how the commercialisation of agricultural lands, promoted by the World Bank and the IMF, are adversely affecting subsistence farmers. Also, we bring to light the barriers smallholder farmers face in acquiring land titles, the farmers' perception of the justice system in Mali, and how culture deepens inequitable access to land by women and the youth. Finally, we provide relevant recommendations to the government.