Land Conflicts and Soil Management

Land is increasingly becoming a source of conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa, where land access had traditionally been characterized as relatively egalitarian. It has been shown that local land conflicts can erupt into large-scale civil strife and political movements (Andre and Platteau 1998; Fred-Mensah 1999; Daudelin 2002). The most recent example is the postpresidential election violence in Kenya, started in December 2007, where historical land conflicts between ethnic groups have amplified the postelection violence, especially in Rift Valley ( Mathenge 2008). Some underlying factors, such as population pressure, ² agricultural commercialization, and urbanization have contributed to the increasing number of land conflicts, and the current land tenure systems in Africa may not be well equipped to resolve such conflicts (Cotula et al. 2004; van Donge 1999). In many African countries, formal institutions for land administration were often simply superimposed on traditional structures without a clear delineation of responsibilities and competencies, implying that they lack both outreach and social legitimacy (Deininger 2003).