Transformative Land Investment (TLI)
The Transformative Land Investment project aims to improve land tenure security and livelihoods of 300’000 rural people through investors’ practices for inclusive business and agroecology, and the adaptation of national policies and global frameworks. Implemented by a consortium of research and business development practitioners in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Ghana, Laos and Myanmar, the project will contribute to Switzerland’s global effort towards more sustainable food systems.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Global |
Agriculture & food security Employment & economic development
Agricultural land resources
Rural development Agricultural development Industrial policy Business support & economic inclusion |
01.06.2020
- 30.06.2025 |
CHF 8’950’000
|
- Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is the lead of the consortium including as well: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC), Land Equity International (LEI), and Netherlands Development Organization (SNV)
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation AGRICULTURE
OTHER MULTISECTOR
AGRICULTURE
INDUSTRY
BUSINESS & OTHER SERVICES
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Agricultural land resources
Rural development
Agricultural development
Industrial policy and administrative management
Business support services and institutions
Cross-cutting topics The project promotes biodiversity.
Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
Project and programme contribution
Project number 7F10494
| Background | Most large-scale land investments in Africa and Asia often increase vulnerability of smallholders and convert ecosystems to monoculture crops, exacerbating land tenure, food insecurity, and harming the environment. While principles like the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, or the Responsible Agriculture Investments have been internationally agreed upon, they are rarely applied in land based investments because of lack of capabilities, resources, incentives and clear guidelines. Centralization of land acquisition processes and the unique use of environmental impact assessments have done little so far to improve protection of at-risk populations and ecosystems. Promotion of smallholder-inclusive alternatives to plantations have yet to live up to their potential. The need for businesses to invest in - rather than compete with - smallholder systems, and to support local consumption and climate strategies, is more pressing than ever. The project proposes innovative approaches to bring closer the business community, government and the civil society expectations to make land investment a vehicule of sustainable, inclusive and climate resilient development. SDC interest in supporting this initiative is to pursue a long-standing effort at the global and national levels to promote enabling frameworks where Switzerland has taken a prominent role in land governance programmes and within the Committee on World Food Security . |
| Objectives | Contribute to more sustainable food systems, with gender-sensitive and socially inclusive improvements in land tenure security, livelihoods, resilience and ecosystem health, among populations in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Ghana, Laos, Myanmar and beyond. |
| Target groups |
- Marginalized and vulnerable rural communities affected by land investments in agriculture and forestry: 300’000 farmer women, youth and men are expected to be empowered to participate in and benefit from agricultural and forestry value chains, resulting in enhanced food, nutritional and tenure security - Civil society organizations will be empowered to engage in collective actions and form productive and mutually beneficial partnerships with the public and private sector - States, including local authorities will have enhanced capacities to appraise land based investments, and to articulate national land based investment policies and strategies consistent with food systems priorities and agroecology - Businesses will have reduced risks through improved partnerships, more durable and impactful business models and improved relations with local stakeholders |
| Medium-term outcomes |
1. Land-based investors actively integrate potential environmental and socio-economic impacts as standard practice, mitigating the negative and maximizing the positive impacts 2. National government agencies and ministries adopt and effectively implement policies and regulatory frameworks and incentive mechanisms that better foster TLI 3. Multilateral and bilateral organizations and initiatives adopt commitments, guidelines and financing strategies that more effectively promote TLI and VGGT principles |
| Results |
Expected results: - Development of an Investment Risk-Reward assessment tool and validation in countries - Business Transformation Labs supported, informed by gender toolkit and established in all countries - Multi-stakeholder platforms put in place to engage all actors and ensure the social and environmental positive impact of investments - Engagement with national authorities to improve the existing enabling environment Good practices of the countries fed into regional and global networks, and private sector initiatives Results from previous phases: The proposal is the result of an international call for proposals. The selected partner organisations have a long-standing experience in this thematic and geographies. The project document was developed in a participatory process and included extensive consultations between the project partners and stakeholders, including the Swiss Cooperation Offices, in the five countries and globally. It englobed investors, civil society organisations, governments, research, international NGOs and specialized networks. A gender analysis was conducted as well as the establishement of a logframe and baselines. |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Project partners |
Contract partner Foreign academic and research organisation |
| Coordination with other projects and actors | GPFS’ partnerships on land governance such as the International Land Coalition (ILC) and the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) as well as projects on Right to Food and on responsible investments (ASEAN-RAI); Land Governance and Land rights Projects in Mozambique and in the Mekong Region, including partnership with the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE, University of Bern). |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 8’950’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 5’063’108 |
| Project phases | Phase 1 01.06.2020 - 30.06.2025 (Current phase) |
