USAID Responsible Land-Based Investments

The project aimed to promote responsible land-based investments in African agriculture, focusing on the Analytical Framework for Land-Based Investments. The framework emphasizes the importance of recognizing and mitigating risks to tenure rights of local communities. The project's objectives include conducting a detailed assessment of legal and legitimate land rights of communities, identifying measures to mitigate negative effects on local livelihoods, and providing guidance on establishing a successful partnership between investors and local populations. The project also aims to assess the impacts of past investments on local populations and propose ways to correct past negative impacts. The project's methodology involves conducting a rural rapid appraisal, data collection, and risk assessment. The appraisal will focus on the Analytical Framework Sections 1 (Tenure Rights) and 2 (Participation, Consultation, and Negotiations). The project will also touch on other issues from Sections 4 (Transparency and Corruption) and 5 (Food Security, Environmental Sustainability, and Local Capacity Building). The project's guidance and questionnaire will provide private sector users with practical and accessible tools for conducting tenure due diligence or risk assessment for both greenfield and brownfield investments. The project will also provide proposals for ways to establish a successful partnership between investors and local populations. The project's geographic focus is on African agriculture, with a specific emphasis on the Moringa agro-forestry investments. The project will be conducted over a period of 18 months, from December 2016 to June 2018. The project's timeframes include the preparation of materials for due diligence and risk assessment, data collection, and data collection instruments, including questionnaires for key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The project's recommendations include the establishment of a successful partnership between investors and local populations, the identification of measures to mitigate negative effects on local livelihoods, and the provision of guidance on establishing a grievance mechanism. The project's conclusions are subject to revision during or after the field work as the team generates lessons on what parts of the document are most relevant or require revision. The project's focus is on the responsible governance of tenure, with a specific emphasis on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGTs). The project's guidance and questionnaire will provide private sector users with practical and accessible tools for conducting tenure due diligence or risk assessment for both greenfield and brownfield investments.