The demand for land in Zimbabwe was not resolved by the major land reform in 2000. Far from it. Many people missed out, and new generations too young to benefit from allocations nearly 25 years ago are seeking land for farming. With the urban economy continuing to contract and with limited formal jobs on offer, agriculture is seen by many as a relatively attractive and secure option. For this reason, we see many new plots being established in our study sites across the post-2000 resettlement areas, alongside people moving to farm in the old communal areas.
This short blog series focuses on ‘new entrants’, those who were not resident in the area before, and in some cases with no previous associations, although connections through kin and friendships are usually important in securing land. A later series will focus on young people, sons and daughters of land reform beneficiaries, who are also setting up homes and establishing farms.
This article is from Zimbabweland, a blog written by IDS Research Fellow Ian Scoones. Zimbabweland focuses on issues related to rural livelihoods and land reform in Zimbabwe.
