Land, Rights and the Politics of Investments in Africa

In response to the recent surge in extractive natural resource investments in Africa, this insightful book explores how relations between investors, ruling elites, and local populations develop when large-scale investments in gas, minerals, and agriculture expand.

Advancing a multi-level approach that encompasses rigorous theoretical analysis, fieldwork, and literature review, expert contributors examine the implementation of natural resource investments and the extent to which they respect rights of local populations. Chapters draw together bodies of literature on land-grabbing debates, the resource curse controversy and corporate social responsibility (CSR), demonstrating how the chances of large-scale investments in natural resources are at their greatest when characterised by ‘reciprocal exchange deals’ between investors and local populations, ‘compatible interests’ between ruling elites and investors, and ‘mutual recognition’ between local populations and ruling elites. Through a careful examination of case studies in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda, the book ultimately highlights the complexity of the political economy of natural resource investments.

Providing valuable theoretical and empirical insights, this book will be an invigorating read for scholars and students of political economy, political geography, sustainability, CSR, and business studies. Its valuable insights on how natural resource investments might accelerate economic growth and consolidate links between local and global economies will also be of interest to development practitioners and investors.

“'Challenging established approaches to understanding the drivers shaping large-scale investments, state policy-making and social outcomes in contemporary Africa's extractive resources, this new collection of sectoral studies confronts head-on a critical research gap in the current literature: what role do local communities and interests play in shaping foreign investments and state regulation, and how do the evolving relations among public, private and social actors inflect the trajectory of resource based development strategies? In response, this book provides a fresh, richly-detailed body of evidence and analysis which marks an important contribution to comparative and public policy research in Africa's key natural resources sector.'”

‘Challenging established approaches to understanding the drivers shaping large-scale investments, state policy-making and social outcomes in contemporary Africa’s extractive resources, this new collection of sectoral studies confronts head-on a critical research gap in the current literature: what role do local communities and interests play in shaping foreign investments and state regulation, and how do the evolving relations among public, private and social actors inflect the trajectory of resource based development strategies? In response, this book provides a fresh, richly-detailed body of evidence and analysis which marks an important contribution to comparative and public policy research in Africa’s key natural resources sector.’ -- Richard G. Saunders, York University, Canada
‘Rights to access, control, and profit from Africa’s natural resources are continuously contested and negotiated. While the issues are linked to history, the contexts are ever changing and the challenges remain of the highest relevance for scholars, policy makers, and politicians. This book provides valuable and thought-provoking new knowledge on the interactions between the main stakeholders involved.’ -- Ellen Hillbom, Lund University, Sweden

Edited by Lars Buur, Professor in the Political Economy of Development, Roskilde University, Denmark, José Jaime Macuane, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique, Faustin Peter Maganga, Associate Professor, Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC), St. John’s University of Tanzania, Tanzania and Rasmus H. Pedersen, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies, Denmark

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