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Customary rights and societal stakes of large-scale tobacco cultivation in Malawi

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  • Alois Mandondo
  • Laura German

Abstract

The recent surge in land-based investments in the global South has been seen as both an opportunity for rural economic development and as a trend that poses significant social and environmental risks. This study sheds light on this debate through a look at the tobacco industry in Malawi. We employ a case study approach to investigate how rights, property, and authority associated with land and forest resources have shifted in the context of expanded investments in tobacco, and the stakes for both local land users and citizens. Findings point to the need to broaden the metric of risks and trade-offs associated with large-scale land acquisitions, and to engage in a deeper reading of how these are borne out throughout history. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Alois Mandondo & Laura German, 2015. "Customary rights and societal stakes of large-scale tobacco cultivation in Malawi," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(1), pages 31-46, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:32:y:2015:i:1:p:31-46
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-014-9514-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Deininger, Klaus W. & Xia, Fang, 2017. "Assessing Impacts of Large Scale Land Transfers: Challenges and Opportunities in Malawi’s Estate Sector," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258112, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Deininger, Klaus & Xia, Fang, 2018. "Assessing the long-term performance of large-scale land transfers: Challenges and opportunities in Malawi’s estate sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 281-296.
    3. World Health Organization, 2017. "Tobacco and its environmental impact: an overview," University of California at San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education qt8tp3r5rc, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, UC San Francisco.

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