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“Medium-Scale” Forestland Grabbing in the Southwestern Highlands of Ethiopia: Impacts on Local Livelihoods and Forest Conservation

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  • Tola Gemechu Ango

    (Department of Human Geography, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

Tropical forest provides a crucial portion of sustenance in many rural communities, although it is increasingly under pressure from appropriations of various scales. This study investigated the impacts of medium-scale forestland grabbing on local livelihoods and forest conservation in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Data were generated through interviews, discussions and document review. The results indicate that state transfer of part of the forestland since the late 1990s to investors for coffee production created in situ displacement- a situation where farmers remained in place but had fully or partially lost access to forest- that disrupted farmers’ livelihoods and caused conflicts between them and the investors. Court cases about the appropriated land and related imprisonment, inflicted financial and opportunity costs on farmers. Farmers considered the livelihood opportunities created by the companies insufficient to compensate for loss of forest access. Companies’ technology transfers to farmers and contributions to foreign currency earnings from coffee exports have not yet materialized. Forest conservation efforts have been negatively affected by deforestation caused by conversion to coffee plantations and by farmers’ efforts to secure rights to forestland by more intensive use. The medium-scale forestland grabbing has been detrimental to farmers’ livelihoods and forest conservation in a way that recalls criticism of large- and mega-scale land grabbing since 2007–2008. The overall failure to achieve the objectives of transferring forestland to investors highlights a critical need to shift institutional supports to smallholders’ informal forest access and management practices for better development and conservation outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Tola Gemechu Ango, 2018. "“Medium-Scale” Forestland Grabbing in the Southwestern Highlands of Ethiopia: Impacts on Local Livelihoods and Forest Conservation," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-20, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:7:y:2018:i:1:p:24-:d:131990
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    Cited by:

    1. Bin Yang & Jun He, 2021. "Global Land Grabbing: A Critical Review of Case Studies across the World," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Tola Gemechu Ango & Kristoffer Hylander & Lowe Börjeson, 2020. "Processes of Forest Cover Change since 1958 in the Coffee-Producing Areas of Southwest Ethiopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-29, August.
    3. Aisa O. Manlosa & Jan Hanspach & Jannik Schultner & Ine Dorresteijn & Joern Fischer, 2019. "Livelihood strategies, capital assets, and food security in rural Southwest Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(1), pages 167-181, February.
    4. Logan Cochrane & Danielle D. Legault, 2020. "The Rush for Land and Agricultural Investment in Ethiopia: What We Know and What We Are Missing," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-13, May.
    5. Ayala Wineman & Thomas S. Jayne & Emma Isinika Modamba & Holger Kray, 2021. "Characteristics and Spillover Effects of Medium-Scale Farms in Tanzania," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(6), pages 1877-1898, December.

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