The politics of food is intertwined with land politics, whether we talk about plantation workers, indigenous peoples, or pastoralists and their desire to own or control land. Questions on food politics are centered on what is to be produced, where, how much and how, by whom, and with what patterns of distribution and consumption. Answers to these questions inevitably raise issues of politics, power, and social justice. This chapter examines the link between land and food and its implications for social justice. It begins with a discussion of the contemporary global land rush in relation to pro-poor land policy, with particular emphasis on land reform. It then looks at the move away from conventional land reform in development policy thinking as part of the neoliberal resurgence. It also considers the contemporary interest in land and land policies in the context of development, along with key themes in pro-poor land policy such as protection or transfer of land-based wealth in favor of the poor, transfer of land-based political power, the sensitivity of such a policy to gender and ethnic groups, and its contribution to increasing land and labor productivity.
Policy And Implementation: Land And Agrarian Reform In South Africa