Initial Steps in Implementation of the Malawi Land Laws: Implications for Commercial Agriculture
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EmailSYMPOSIUM - May 10, 2017, Lilongwe, Malawi. This event provided a dialogue on the newly adopted Land Laws and what they entail for agriculture development in Malawi.
By Paida Mpaso
Golden Peacock, Lilongwe, Malawi, May 10, 2017
The “Initial Steps in Implementation of the Malawi Land Laws: Implications for Commercial Agriculture” symposium provided a dialogue on the newly adopted Land Laws and what they entail for agriculture development in Malawi.The symposium also informed on the status of several New Alliance commitments that are related to land: 1) Identification of land in phases, suitable for large scale commercial agriculture (10,000 ha/year from 2013) every year; 2) Enactment of the new Land Bill into law (which happened but now remains to be disseminated and implemented); 3) Introduction of agricultural zoning based on priority crops and growth.
The symposium was organized in consultation with all stakeholders in the Land and Agriculture sectors to ensure that the forum provided a platform for coordinated interventions in the land sector that promote development of a commercially viable agriculture sector.
PROGRAM (pdf version)
Arrival of the Guest of Honour Honorable Atupele Muluzi, MP, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development
Opening
Welcome Remarks and Introduction: Dr. Flora Nankhuni, NAPAS Malawi
Opening Remarks: Mr. Bright Kumwembe, Chief Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development
Opening Remarks: Mr. Charles Msosa, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development
Official Opening by Guest of Honor: Honorable Atupele Muluzi, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development
Photo: Professor Emmanuel Kaunda, Acting Vice Chancellor, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR); Charles Msosa, Principal Secretary Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development (MoLHUD); Honorable Atupele Muluzi, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MoLHUD); Bright Kumwembe, Chief Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (MoAIWD); Carter Hemphill, Economist, Sustainable Economic Growth Dept., USAID-Malawi
Session I
- Africa’s Changing Farmland Owership and Use: Considering the Implications, Dr. Flora Nankhuni, NAPAS Malawi
- Keynote Address: New Land Acts and Implications on: Customary Landholding, Access to Land for Large Commercial Agriculture, Women’s and Youth Access to Land. Mr. James Namfuko, Chief Economist, Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development
- MITC Experiences on Land Acquisitions for Agricultural Investments in Malawi. Mr. Joshua Nthakomwa, MITC
- Voluntary Guidelines on Governance of Tenure and Land, Forests and Fisheries in the Context of National food Security (VGGT): Guiding Principles of Responsible Governance of Tenure. Mr. Emmanuel Mlaka, National Coordinator, LandNet
Questions, Answers, and Comments, moderated by Dr. Candida Nankhumwa, FUM
Session II
- Acquisitions of Land for Large Scale Commercial Farming by Green Belt Initiative Holdings Limited. Dr. Henrie Njoloma and Mr. Humphrey Kamwendo, Green Belt Initiative Holdings Ltd
- Land Profiling and Soil Loss Analysis in Malawi. Mr. Gilbert Kupunda, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, DLRC
- Do Farm Land Rental Markets Really Promote Efficiency and Equity in Smallholder Agriculture? Evidence from a Matched Tenant-Landlord Sample in Malawi. Dr. Jacob Ricker-Gilbert, Charles Jumbe, Joseph Kanyamuka, Jordan Chamberlin, Rodney Lunduka, and Stevier Kaiyatsa, Purdue University, LUANAR, NAPAS: Malawi, CIMMYT, Government of Malawi
- Monitoring and Evaluation of Land in Africa (MELA) project. Dr. Hosaena Ghebru, IFPRI-Addis Ababa
Questions, Answers, and Comments moderated by Mrs. Mutemwe Kavalo, International Aid Coordinator in Sustainable Agriculture at the European Union Delegation to Malawi
Presentation III
Panel Discussion, Moderated by Mr. Rex Chapota, ex-CEO of Farm Radio Trust
Panelists:
Betty Chinyamunyamu, Representative of smallholder commercial farmers
Dr. David Kamchacha, Representative of domestic investors (private sector)
Mr. Jonathan Jacobs, Representative of a foreign investor (also private sector)
TA Mbenje of Nsanje, Representative of the Government of Malawi and Traditional Authorities
Mr. Prince Kapondamgaga, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM), Representative of all farmers (commercial and subsistence)
Ms. Yvonne Mmangisa, FAO, Representative of the DP community
Closing Remarks
Professor Emmanuel Kaunda, Acting Vice Chancellor, LUANAR
PRESS RELEASES
- The Nation, May 11, 2017: Land Laws to Develop Positive Reforms
- The Times Malawi, May 11, 2017: Government Moves to Curb Land Fraud
MEDIA INFORMATION
This event is the continuation of the discussions of the 2016 symposium: “Complexities of Land Issues in Malawi and their Implications for Agricultural Commercialization.”
Download the 2016 Report.
