Africa’s annual urban growth rate of three per cent makes it one of the world’s fastest urbanising regions. But it remains largely rural; about 60 per cent of the population lives in the countryside (African Development Bank, 2013). African economies are largely driven by the agriculture and extractive sectors. Agriculture alone employs an estimated 65 per cent of the active labour force (World Bank, 2014). In this context, secure access to sufficient productive land amongst rural producers is critical for sustaining livelihoods, for food security at the household level, and for national development. For many, land is also a source...

An extensive body of literature provides insights into the complexities of customary land governance in Ghana and the current attempts to streamline land governance to deal with contemporary pressures (Cotula, 2007; Bugri, 2013; Obeng-Odoom, 2012; 2013). Far from being static, customary systems have been continually evolving in response to new realities (Blocher, 2006; Obeng-Odoom, 2014). Not only do some issues relating to land administration and addressing tenure security fall through the gaps between customary and statutory systems, transparency and accountability appears to be eroding at the local level (Kasanga and Kotey, 2001; Cotula, 2007; Yeboah and Oppong, 2015).

Ghana has...

Land tenure systems define how land is owned, accessed, held, and used (Kasanga and Kotey, 2001). Although it is possible for a single factor or driver to shape prevailing land tenure practice, it is more common for multiple drivers to be at play concurrently. In this chapter, we detail some of the big drivers of change in Ghana, with insights into how these are playing out in the case study areas.

Ghana’s current population growth rate is around 2.1 per cent (UN-DESA, 2015). Urban areas are expanding at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent, compared to the rural growth...

The above pressures are driving changes in land access and use. This chapter describes the changes being observed in the case study areas in relation to land and common resources access, plot sizes, fragmentation of land, crop choices and food security. It documents the implications of these changes facing rural land users, particularly secondary rights holders (women, youth, and pastoralists). These changes may be shaped by any or all of the drivers described in Chapter 2.

Across Ghana, citizens have historically accessed land through varying customary arrangements, largely dictated by their social standing within the land-owning community. For example, a...

This chapter discusses a small number of reform innovations in land governance that hold the potential for addressing tenure security in light of the drivers of change and their associated implications discussed above.

The government of Ghana, with support from its development partners, is undertaking land administration reforms through the Ghana Land Administration Project (LAP).¹⁵ In the long term, the project is expected to stimulate economic development, reduce poverty and promote social stability by improving land tenure security, simplifying the process for accessing land and making it fair, transparent and efficient, developing the land market and fostering prudent land management...

In addition to the local level governance arrangements discussed in Chapter 4, a number of policy responses and priorities for land and livelihood security emerged in response to the pressures and their associated implications highlighted through the research. This chapter presents a number of priority areas.

Agricultural extension geared towards improving productivity on small plot sizes with declining soil fertility is an increasing policy priority. This could include promoting low cost options for restoring soil fertility and higher yielding varieties. However options for reversing fragmentation trends have received far less attention at policy level and need urgent exploration. Land consolidation...

Africa has a competitive advantage in agriculture, largely because of its vast supply of arable land and a young population which offers a rich pool of labour. At continental and regional levels, bodies such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) are strategising to reposition agriculture as the driving force for economic development. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is an example of such initiatives. In Ghana, national policies — such as the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies and the Ghana Shared Growth Development Agenda —...