April 2014: Secure land access and sustainable natural resources management remains a challenge in Angola, according to a working paper published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN’s (FAO) Land and Water Division (NRL). FAO released the paper, which provides an overview of Angola’s family farming sector, within the context of the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF).

‘Land, Territorial Development and Family Farming in Angola: A holistic approach to community-based natural resource governance: The cases of Bie, Huambo, and Huila Provinces,’ describes Angola’s family farming sector, with an emphasis on land tenure and natural resources management. Challenges faced by Angolan family farmers include climate change impacts, food insecurity and land tenure conflicts from foreign agricultural investment. The paper also highlights rural development challenges that affect family farming, including: the need to improve institutional capacity, physical planning and infrastructure; and insufficient knowledge on land tenure and management alongside limited data exchange among public institutions and departments.

The paper highlights two tendencies in land issues over the three decades since Angola’s independence: the de-legitimization of the role of traditional authorities; and government challenges in service provision and support to decentralized institutions. It argues that these trends contributed to insecure land rights. Further, “significant gaps remain” between legal frameworks that protect and guarantee rural community land rights and their implementation, according to the paper, which states that these implementation gaps exacerbate land conflicts and contribute to the marginalization of under-represented groups.

The paper includes chapters on: an overview of Angola, including its natural resources and agriculture; land issues in Angola; FAO’s involvement in land issues, including support to provincial land and natural resources management institutions; family farming in Angola, including cropping and production systems; participatory and negotiated approaches to land and natural resources management; pilot experiences in the highland plateau; and conclusions. [Publication: Land, Territorial Development and Family Farming in Angola] [NRL Website]