Abstract

Land is critical for economic and socio-cultural development, as well as the core of structural intervention to promote good governance, decentralization and sustainable development. However, Central Africa’s current land policies, legislations and administration are remnants of the legacies of the colonial period, which has led to simmering tensions that constrain meaningful development. This paper reviews the centrality of land in promoting better livelihoods, and examines the institutional requirements for building resilience and sustainability in agricultural land management in the Central African sub-region. Comprehensive principles for better agricultural land management in the advent of large-scale land investments are examined. The paper asserts that promoting resilience and sustainability in land management requires that land policy development and implementation is promoted as a package of interlinked measures which includes an effective land administration. The paper concludes that for a win-win outcome, a strategic plan is required for the continued implementation of land policy in a coordinated and timely manner, and efforts made to sequence policy reforms and institutional changes so that they can be adopted and implemented within the existing historical and political context.

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