Impacts of conflicting land tenure systems on land acquisition by agribusiness developers in côte d’ivoire

Large-scale farming relies on favourable land tenure systems. However, conflicting land tenure is affecting agribusiness development in Sub-Saharan Africa. A key question is whether Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s leading producer of cocoa, has been spared from the challenge of rampant land tenure facing commercial farming. This paper is a reflection on the consequences of legal pluralism on the development of agribusiness. Through a case study of a region of southeastern Cote d’Ivoire, it intends to demonstrate that the coexistence of neo-customary and bureaucratic forms of land tenure constitutes a major obstacle for agribusiness development. Qualitative methods were employed, including individual interviews and focus group discussions. The results reveal that land tenure systems are intricately linked to the complexity of agribusiness development. The study further finds that land tenure systems are a source of conflict between agribusiness developers and smallholders. Hence, agribusiness finds it difficult to grow due to land tenure systems, which cause immense hardships for agribusiness developers in South Comoé. The case of the South Comoé region, therefore, articulates a compelling need for policymakers to consolidate the land tenure system which has failed to secure land for agribusiness development.