In December 2010/January 2011, CICODEV conducted a study on the impact that the monopolization of 7413 Acres of land by a politico-religious authority-owned farm, had on 99 producer and consumer households in 4 villages in the rural community of Diokoul (which is in Kebemer County) – within the Louga region.
A rise in food and nutritional uncertainty, difficulties for women to access energy (firewood) and a growing threat to sustaining natural resources (land, water); are all among the study’s revealed impacts of land monopolization – at the expense of small farmers and rural consumer households.
At the end of a 15-month campaign (that included strategic planning; training sessions on land legislation, roles, operating methods and strengths of the Rural Council, advocacy, direct actions and communication) with CICODEV’s support and assistance, the deprived farmers were able to recover around 6178ac. of the 7413ac. of land.
As a result, for more than 6 years now, they have proceeded with obtaining resources from their own farms and have since been able to develop a more balanced and informed relationship with the Rural Council.
On February 7th and 8th of 2012, the organization in Dakar, along with the International Land Coalition, The Oakland Institute and Global Witness, organized an international workshop on the "Transparency in Large-Scale Land Resource Allocations and Investments.” This enabled CICODEV to promote the exchange and integration of African, European and American experiences on land monopolization; as well as to propose systems to instill more transparency and interaction in regards to acquisition operations of land (on a large-scale) while protecting family farms.
LAND RETROCESSION
