Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

@plaasuwc.bsky.social marked 30 years of scholarship and advocacy with the Land, Life and Society conference — bringing together global experts to explore how land, food, and climate justice can shape a more equitable future.
#IAmUWC

Day 1 opens with keynotes from SA Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Mzwanele Nyhontso; Morgan Ody, @via_campesina General Coordinator; Professor @IssaShivji from the University of Dar es Salaam; with @RuthHallPLAAS as chair. Programme shorturl.at/WlUfb #PLAAS30

Land, Life and Society Conference 2025 | Plaas Land, Life and Society International conference on the road to ICARRD+20 Urgent attention is needed to the challenges of land and agrarian reform in the contemporary world. Today, intersecting crises,...

🌱 If you want to see what we're up to today and the rest of the week, you can find our programme here: shorturl.at/WlUfb
Keep up with news from the conference via our profile page here: plaas.org.za/land-life-an... #PLAAS30

The Land, Life and Society Conference is live! Watch our plenaries via live stream on our YouTube account.
This conference will be a marker of a memorable 30 years of PLAAS and a solid road towards ICARRD+20. Thank you for creating it with us. #PLAAS30 www.youtube.com/@PlaasOrgZaUWC

The ‘return’ of land grabbing? This introductory paper to the Special Forum on ‘The Return of Land Grabbing’ examines the evolving dynamics of land grabbing. We argue that land grabbing never disappeared but has persisted and tr...

What's driving land grabbing in the world today?

Our hot-off-the-press open access paper shows land grabbing is now shaped by:
1. geopolitics
2. financialization
3. climate policies

We set out why it matters, how people respond, and what's to be done @plaasuwc.bsky.social @tninstitute.bsky.social

African communities are on the frontline of a crisis we did not create. What paths to addressing the climate emergency — rooted in justice, solidarity, and respect for nature — are open to us? Join this Masterclass with @kuminaidoo.bsky.social. Register and find class resources: shorturl.at/aDjdc

Writeshop 2025 | Plaas The Journal of Peasant Studies & partners are pleased to announce the 4th Annual Writeshop in Critical Agrarian Studies and Scholar-Activism 2022

Two days to go until the Journal of Peasant Studies Africa Writeshop ahead of our 30th anniversary Land, Life and Society conference. #PLAAS30 🎉 Meet the early career and PhD scholars who will learn from some of eminent academics in our sector. plaas.org.za/sarchi-chair...

Will Ekurhuleni land expropriation become test case? - Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit Will the expropriation of a 34-hectare piece of property in Ekurhuleni without compensation become a test case for South Africa? Lester Kiewit speaks to Professor Ruth Hall, Director of the Institute ...

How do we consider land as heritage? As South Africa celebrates Heritage Day today, listen to @ruthhallplaas.bsky.social explain everything to understand about the country's first expropriation with nil compensation case, which uses the 1975 expropriation Act. omny.fm/shows/capeta...

📢 Does the medium-scale commercial farming model contribute to structural transformation, wealth creation, and improved livelihoods? Dr Clement Chipenda will reveal insights from his work in Zimbabwe. Register below for 13:00 today.

How do you write a well-grounded journal article? These researchers will refine their manuscripts at the Journal of Peasant Studies writeshop on critical agrarian studies.

Learn more about our participants: plaas.org.za/sarchi-chair...

#PLAAS30

📝 Dr Chipenda will go into more details about this work, his methodologies, and his findings at the seminar. If you have questions, you can send them to us via our BlueSky Chat. Register below.

💡 While medium-scale farms have become central to creating economic opportunities, they need support to meet their potential to contribute to structural transformation, wealth creation, and improved livelihoods.

🤔 Does the medium-scale commercial farming model contribute to structural transformation, wealth creation, and improved livelihoods?

🚜 The study looks at 200 resettled households in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. As with many post-colonial African contexts, the government of Zimbabwe is promoting the medium-scale farming sector to achieve its objective to become a middle-income economy by 2030. But...

Join Dr Clement Chipenda on Tuesday for an academic seminar, where he will share insights from his fascinating research on Zimbabwe's medium-scale farming sector.

📆 Tuesday, 23/09/2025
🕐 13:00-14:00
📍PLAAS Seminar Room or via Zoom: shorturl.at/YYZTm

What does his research show? 🧵👇🏾
#AcademicSky

Does the medium-scale commercial farming model contribute to structural transformation, wealth creation, and improved livelihoods? 🤔

🚜 "The study uses a survey and in-depth interviews of 200 resettled households in rural Zimbabwe. As with many post-colonial African contexts, the government of Zimbabwe is promoting the medium-scale farming sector to achieve its objective to become a middle-income economy by 2030. But...

Our next four participants for the JPS writing workshop have many shared and unique research interests, ranging from agrarian political economy to gender equity.

Meet Bernard Ekumah, Courage Rodwell Bakasa, Diane Tapimali, and Jabulile Manyike.

#PLAAS30

💪🏾 We're gearing up for our 30th anniversary Land, Life and Society Conference, happening at @uwconline.bsky.social from 7-9 Oct. We're kicking off with a Journal of Peasant Studies Africa Writeshop on Critical Agrarian Studies & Scholar Activism. These 4 will join 17 others in Cape Town. 🚀 #PLAAS30

Why is communications vital for funding in 2025 and beyond? How do people understand "land justice"? Are we creating decolonised environmental policies? Prof @ruthhallplaas.bsky.social, Nkayniso Gumede and Oluwaseyi Agboola brought their expertise to Research Week at @uwconline.bsky.social.

YouTube video by Newzroom Afrika Concourt ruling affirms grazing rights of long-term residents

#UJLG2025 this weekend was a powerful reminder of people's right to land for more than housing. This major Constitutional Court decision in South Africa last week was just as important of a recognition of this right. @ruthhallplaas.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf76...

It's day two of the third Urban Land Justice Gathering at Workshop17 at the V&A Waterfront. At 14:30, PLAAS researcher Nkanyiso Gumede and research associate Siphesihle Mbhele talk strategies for inclusive land redistribution plans for marginalised people. #ULJG2025

"We need to dismantle the 'property' concept."
Justice means:
- Reclaiming the commons;
- Expropriating private property to avail land;
- Understanding the regulation, limit, and constraints on private because of how financialised it has become.
~ @ruthhallplaas.bsky.social
#ULJG2025

Professor @ruthhallplaas.bsky.social joins the programme today at the third Urban Land Justice programme, and tomorrow, you'll hear from research associate Siphesihle Mbhele on a panel facilitated by researcher Nkanyiso Gumede. Keep an eye on our socials.

Tomorrow! We're at the third Urban Land Justice Gathering, co-hosted by Ndifuna Ukwazi, the Housing Development Agency, the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa, and the A City Occupied Collective.
📅 22-23 August 2025
📍 Workshop17, CT
RSVPs are closed, but watch the socials for updates.

Exciting news! Dr @sandrobsimon.bsky.social joins PLAAS next week for an academic seminar. He'll be delving into his work on gleaning. You can join us online or in person. Read more about the seminar and register via Zoom on this link. shorturl.at/ib81d
#PLAASAcademicSeminar

Exciting news! Dr @sandrobsimon.bsky.social joins PLAAS next week for an academic seminar. He'll be delving into his work on gleaning. You can join us online or in person. Read more about the seminar and register via Zoom on this link. shorturl.at/ib81d
#PLAASAcademicSeminar

Meeting notes: Merging Maputo National Park with UNESCO World Heritage Site iSimangaliso Wetland Park | Plaas On 25 June 2025, the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape attended a public meeting on iSimangaliso Wetland Park’s (IWP) expansion programme w...

Read our notes from the meeting and our policy recommendations as the final decision to merge these parks will happen from 6 to 16 July at 47th session of the UNESCO committee in Paris. The stakeholder consultation process closes in SA on 20 July.

plaas.org.za/meeting-note...

They said the meeting - held at Ecovillage Lodge - was inaccessible for them. Our research shows that as the park stands now, communities are suffering at the hands of authorities where conservation models are outdated and don't take community needs into consideration.

Two weeks ago, we attended a meeting in St Lucia for discussions about a planned merge of Maputo National Park with @unesco.org World Heritage Site iSimangaliso Wetland Park. One person from St Lucia was present, and people who lived in surrounding villages complained. 🧵