Secure Land, Secure Food

From 5–6 August 2025, over 130 experts from more than 70 institutions across 40 African countries gathered in Addis Ababa for the SLGA closing workshop, A Decade to Celebrate: Advancing Land Governance for Africa’s Future. The event reflected ten years of work by the Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) program and its continental network, the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA), to advance land governance, food security, and sustainable development. While the workshop was a moment to celebrate achievements, it also served as a call to action: strengthening land governance is essential for resilient agricultural systems and sustainable growth.

Land Governance: At the Heart of Agricultural Transformation

Land is more than a resource; it is the foundation of livelihoods, food systems, and rural economies. Clear, secure land rights enable farmers, pastoralists, women, and youth to invest confidently, adopt innovative agricultural practices, and access credit. Conversely, insecure tenure limits productivity, increases vulnerability to climate shocks, and fuels social tensions.

Across Africa, tenure systems are complex, often combining customary and formal rules that are poorly integrated. Fragmented governance, inequitable land distribution, and limited administrative capacity can stifle agricultural transformation. Securing land rights is thus not only a legal or technical challenge — it is central to shaping inclusive, productive, and resilient food systems.

Integrating Land Governance into Food Systems

AU guidance to enhance land rights in agricultural investment: To boost agricultural productivity, African governments have focused on attracting foreign investment in agriculture and promoting internal agricultural development through National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs). However, to achieve inclusive growth, ensuring no one is left behind, governments must also guarantee that their citizens have secure access to and ownership of land. The African Union Commission, supported by university experts of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA), developed Good Practices for the integration of land rights into NAIPs. As such land rights are featured more prominently in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Programme (CAADP).

The transformation of African agriculture depends on embedding land governance into broader policies. National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs), climate adaptation strategies, and rural development policies all require secure and equitable tenure. Clear governance frameworks encourage investment in sustainable land management, long-term planning for infrastructure, and inclusive access to agricultural opportunities.

Equity is fundamental. Women, youth, and marginalized communities often face barriers to land access. Inclusive policies that ensure secure tenure for these groups strengthen resilience and unlock agricultural potential across the continent.

Systems Thinking: Making Land Governance Functional

Effective land governance is a systemic challenge. Legal frameworks, administrative processes, customary practices, and data infrastructures must work together. Harmonized land registries, transparent property rights, and enforceable rules reduce disputes and foster trust.

Land governance works best when viewed as an interconnected ecosystem linking policy, institutions, local practice, and data. By coordinating across national and subnational levels and integrating customary and formal systems, functional governance catalyzes agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and social equity.

A functioning systems approach is essential. By designing interventions that consider these interactions, governance systems can achieve broader outcomes — from agricultural productivity to climate resilience and social equity.

Data and research are critical. Mapping land use, monitoring concentration, and analyzing tenure security generate evidence for informed policy and investment. Networks such as NELGA demonstrate how coordinated platforms for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners can support systemic improvements. The 2025 SLGA closing workshop illustrated this approach, highlighting strategies to embed land governance into national and regional development frameworks.

Challenges and Pathways Forward

Despite progress, land governance in Africa faces persistent challenges:

• Land concentration and inequity: Large-scale acquisitions and informal tenure systems limit access for vulnerable populations.

• Fragmented administration and weak policies: Many countries continue to lack updated registries, functional enforcement, and integrated systems.

• Capacity gaps: Local authorities, and research institutions need resources, training, and support.

• Policy coherence: Ministries often work in silos, requiring alignment across agriculture, climate, environment, and rural development plans.

Strategic priorities to address these challenges include:

• Embedding land governance into national and regional agricultural and climate strategies.

• Strengthening local and customary governance institutions.

• Investing in data, research, and knowledge-sharing systems.

• Ensuring equitable access for women, youth, and marginalized groups.

Land Governance as a Catalyst for Sustainable Agriculture

Secure land rights are more than administrative measures — they are catalysts for Africa’s agricultural transformation. Strong governance systems, equitable access, and integrated policies allow communities to invest, innovate, and build resilient food systems.

The decade-long efforts of SLGA and NELGA demonstrate the potential of knowledge networks, research-driven policy, and collaborative governance. Scaling this impact requires continued political commitment, integrated strategies, and inclusive approaches that place communities, equity, and sustainability at the center of Africa’s agricultural future.

Walelign Kifle is a Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist with the SLGA programme, where he supports African universities and partners in strengthening land governance through strategic communication, evidence sharing, and research dissemination. He leads visibility efforts for NELGA networks, coordinates knowledge products, and promotes policy–research linkages across the continent. His work focuses on elevating African expertise, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that land governance innovations reach practitioners, policymakers, and communities.