Land Market and the “Sendoff” of Peri-Urban Agriculture in Tanzania: An Evolutionary Analysis of Practices and Actors

Abstract

Land markets such as sales, purchase and rentals in African cities were uncommon before colonialism. They emerged with the colonial land administration systems and reforms. Today, land markets have replaced traditional non-monetary land market practices and they are transforming land uses and or ownership. With the evolutionary theory of land rights (ETLR), this article analyses the nature (types, forms and characteristics) of land markets and their influence on changing peri-urban agriculture and livelihood strategies. Also, by mapping historically, we shed some lights on how land markets evolved before and after colonialism. In addition, we examine the land use/cover changes occurring in peri-urban areas due to prevalence of land markets. We used a mixed approach of collecting data through questionnaires, interviews and critical case study discussions with land market actors and government officials. In assessing land use/cover changes (2004-2017), we deployed World Bank data on Earth observation (2019) and Mbeya city council profile (2015). Largely, we found that today, monetary land markets are widespread and in different forms such as formal, informal, speculative, entrepreneurial, and land grabbing. These contribute to transformation of land use and peri-urban agriculture into other non-farm activities. Since these changes are mostly informal, they cause a “sendoff” or “a farewell party” of peri-urban agriculture. In case this transformation continues to be unmanaged, land markets will become a blight than a blessing to most indigenous people selling land voluntarily or involuntarily. Governance of land market is, therefore, imperative.