Research, Policy and Practice
Table 1 Summary of the main features of the LSF groups involved in the grabbing of Butana communal rangeland
From: Exploring the spatio-temporal processes of communal rangeland grabbing in Sudan
Category | Background | Land acquisition | Geographical location of land | Agricultural practices (crop husbandry) | Networking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LSFs from Gadarif State | - Majority are originally LSFs | - Start to acquire land in the early 1980s | - All over the area, with concentration adjacent to 1445NL | - Long experience in rain-fed agriculture - Farmers are fully engaged. - Present throughout the year - Have good infrastructure - Control weeds by herbicides and mechanical means - Leave crop residues for grazing | - Strong link with institutions and decision makers |
LSFs from Kassala State | - Mixture of farmers with experience in irrigated agriculture and pastoralists owning large number of livestock | - Start to acquire land in the mid-1990s | - In area bordering Kassala State | - Limited experience in rain-fed agriculture - Present during the rainy season to harvest - Limit infrastructure - Control weeds by mechanical means - Collect crop residue | - Alliance with traditional leaders, local politicians, and related governmental departments in Kassala State |
LSFs from Khartoum and other major cities in neighbouring states | - Are mainly civil and military officials - Late comers, forced to farm away from valleys | - Started to acquire land after 2010 through renting from LSFs from Gadarif and Kassala states | - In the north western parts of the area | - Absentee farmers mainly rely on Wakil - Present during the rainy season to harvest - Limited infrastructure - Limited weed control - Leave crop residue for free access | - Weak networks |