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THE African Natural Resources Centre (ANRC) of the African Development Bank Group will today launch a publication containing a series of research-based articles by leading international scholars.

The ground-breaking research and analysis has shaped policy on land reform in Africa for more than two decades. Zimbabwe is one of the countries that has successfully championed the land reform programme although the agriculture sector continues to face a myriad of challenges such as incessant droughts and poor access to long term financing. Titled “Rethinking land reform in Africa: new ideas, opportunities and challenges”, the publication follows the November 2019 Conference on Land Policy in Africa organised by the ANRC in Abidjan, during the 10th anniversary of the African Union Declaration on Land.

The initiative is expected to inspire innovative and critical insights, and provide a thought-leading platform of inquiry, analysis, and research for breakthrough progress in land reform policy.

In a statement, the AfDB said the launch will be done digitally and the authors will also be available for virtual interviews. Mr Cosmas Milton Obote Ochieng, ANRC’s director and co-author of the publication said a re-examination of fundamental assumptions and perspectives underlying policies on land reform was a key part of the platform for progress.

“We want this to be the beginning of an inspirational debate, and for others to add their voices. We welcome new research, papers and dialogue on this important subject,” he said.

The publication includes contributions from: Liz Alden Wily, Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Society at University of Leiden; Thomas Bassett, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Sara Berry, Johns Hopkins University; Uchendu Eugene Chigbu, Technical University of Munich; Horman Chitonge, University of Cape Town, among others.